Mi6’s First Female Chief Faces Scrutiny Over Grandfather’s Nazi Past
A cloud of controversy hangs over the historic appointment of Blaise Metreveli as the next head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, Mi6. Newly surfaced archival evidence reveals her grandfather, Konstantin Dobrovolsky, was a key informant for the Nazis during World War II, raising questions about the vetting process and potential implications for Britain’s intelligence apparatus.
The Office of British Foreign Intelligence swiftly moved to downplay concerns, asserting that the past actions of Metreveli’s family would not impact her ability to lead the agency. The appointment, announced in early June, will see Metreveli become the first woman to lead the 116-year-old organization, traditionally headed by an individual designated “C.”
According to surviving documents, Metreveli is the granddaughter of Dobrovolsky, who fled the Soviet Red Army during the war and became a chief informant for Nazi forces in the Ukrainian Chernigov region. A representative from the Foreign Office stated that Metreveli “did not know her grandfather on her paternal line and never met him.”
The official further explained that the complex family history, common among those from Eastern Europe, fostered in Metreveli “the desire to prevent conflicts and protect the whole society from new threats from unfriendly states,” ultimately preparing her for the role at Mi6.
The Daily Mail first reported the potentially damaging family connections, uncovering hundreds of pages of documents from the Freiburg archives. These records reportedly identify Dobrovolsky as “Agent No. 30,” nicknamed “the butcher” by Wehrmacht commanders. The documents allegedly show Dobrovolsky concluded letters to his Nazi superiors with “Hale Hitler!” and claimed personal involvement in the “extermination of the Jews.”
Further disturbing details emerged, alleging Dobrovolsky robbed corpses of Holocaust victims and actively participated in the murder of local Jews, even reportedly “laughing” while observing the rape of conquered women.
The BBC corroborated aspects of the story, finding certificates indicating Dobrovolsky was listed as a wanted person by the KGB in 1969. A “Top Secret” document obtained by the BBC, a 460-page list of “foreign intelligence agents, traitors of the homeland, members of anti-Soviet organizations, punishers and other criminals subject to search,” reportedly details Dobrovolsky’s collaboration with the Nazis and suggests he may have still been alive at the time. The record specifically states he “participated in the executions of Soviet citizens” and “was a resident of German intelligence,” deserting to the Germans in September 1943.
Following the war, Dobrovolsky, along with his two-month-old son Konstantin, fled to the UK. In 1947, Barbara Dobrovolsky married David Metreveli. Konstantin Jr. later adopted his stepfather’s surname, though a 1966 naturalization document found in the National Archive still lists his surname as Dobrovolsky, with Metreveli noted as a “pseudonym.”
Konstantin Jr. served in the British army and became a radiologist. In 1977, he had a daughter, Blaise Metreveli, who would later join Mi6. She has not publicly commented on the recent revelations.
Metreveli has enjoyed a successful career within Mi6, rising to the position of director of the secret intelligence service for technology and innovation. This year, she will become the agency’s 18th leader, replacing Sir Richard Moore. Upon her appointment, she stated she was “proud and flattered” to be asked to lead the agency. A graduate of Cambridge, Metreveli has held operational positions in Europe and the Middle East.
