Cant wait for the film !!

James Mckeown, Kent, UK

Whatever any Royal Navy divers, or divers working for the British authorities (Crabbe was not a serving officer), were doing that day, planting mines was definitely not on the agenda. This Soviet ship was on a goodwill visit. This man's story should be corroborated by the Russian Navy, through their archives. Such an incident would have the subject of written reports.

Neil, Gloucestershire, England

Perhaps he was planting a listening device instead of a mine?

Don Basilio, Cambridge, UK

This is what I thought had happened, with one change. I do not think it was a mine, I think it was a listening device of some sort.
We were not that stupid, we would not have mined a warship in a home port.

james, Alabama, USA

Well, then, the question is whether or not England is going to press for extradition. If Brown pulls out of the Iran sanctions-attempt, Maybe the Russians will give up Koltsov and his Red Medal documents.

But then you'll find out that Cmdr Crabb actually perished in Loch Ness on a secret mission for the Navy to get a collar and leash around the neck of a large, prehistoric beast.

Jericho Simpson, Sacramento, California

That Crabb was on a spying mission is accepted as fact. I recall at the time of the incident that the most likely explanation was that he was attaching some sort of spying device (acoustic or radio tracking) to the hull of the Soviet ship. The most plausible explanation is not that any of the Russians on board the visiting ship killed him but, most likely, that he was captured in the act and taken back to the Soviet Union. Remember that in those days it was the done thing for political antagonists to capture a spy, try to extract sensitive information and then, as a final resort, offer him as a bargaining chip for the return of their own incarcerated spies.

What went seriously wrong for the Soviets was, very likely, the premature demise of a very courageous Englishman. I therefore very much doubt that Crabb died at the time of his espionage activity and so would dismiss Koltsoff's belated claim to notoriety.

Edward Willhoft, Epsom, UK

How di the Russian diver know Crabb was putting the ine on rather than actually removing it?

markchina, Beijing,

I do not have Mr Koltsov, after all he has got a Red Star.
And as it is known around the World, people who got a Red Star
would not tell a lie. That mean that Crabb was a terrorist
(or suicide bomber) on a mission which went wrong for him.
Who is to blame for this?

Paul Deleroux, Le Toquet, France

Yes, it sounds reasonable. Put a mine on a ship carrying the Soviet president, so that if the talks don't go well, we kill him! Ha! That'll make the situation better. Or, of course, we attach a listening device to the hull, right next to the munitions store. A great place to put it!

Or the mine story was made up about a week ago by Putin's spin department. What was the Russian documentary called, "Devious Brits: Always the Bitter Evil Enemy of Great Mother Russia"?

Mike, Brighton, England

This is another tale of fiction by the Russian and the third account of events by their intelligence services. The first claimed a Russian sailor had shot Crabb in the head and then took him aboard before disposing of his body in the Channel on the way home. The second claimed that Crabb deliberatley defected and went to live in Russian training Red Navy divers. This latest claim is dubious and what evidence is there about a body? Surely this diver would have been taken aboard the Russian ship if true and he was certianly not planting any mines. This would have led to World War Three. For a genuine account read; The Final Dive - the life and death of Buster Crabb released today - hence the coincidence of the Russian press statement.

Don Hale, Colwyn Bay, Wales

It was not a murder. Just killing.

Luke, New York, USA

I dont find it hard to believe. Perhaps they placed some kind of time delay mine so that of talks did'nt go well the ship would sink on its way back to Soviet Union. As for saying murder is incredible, a lot of what went on in the cold war may amount to murder normally im sure.

Drummond Haig, Southampton, United Kingdom

Could be true - the likelihood is that crabbe was trying to fix listening devices that, in the murk of the English Channel, could have been mistaken for a mine

RJ, Spalding, Lincs