British authorities on Monday disclosed fresh details about a string of arson attacks targeting locations tied to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying the suspects were allegedly recruited and guided by a Russian-speaking handler.
Police and court accounts say the men were promised payment to carry out a coordinated campaign in London in May 2025. The attacks involved a vehicle and two properties connected to Starmer, adding to concerns about politically linked sabotage operations on British soil.
A separate investigation, cited by the Kyiv Post, said the alleged handler is believed to be a diplomat with training in information warfare and part of a wider Russian sabotage and disinformation effort run from Moscow.
In the case, 22-year-old Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych and 27-year-old Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc were convicted over their roles in the arson plot, according to police and court reporting. The Kyiv Post noted that Carpiuc was also born in Ukraine. A third defendant, 35-year-old Petro Pochynok, was acquitted.
Investigators said Lavrynovych was first contacted through Telegram by a Russian-speaking figure listed in his phone as “El Money.” Police allege the handler assigned him a sequence of tasks that grew more serious over time, with money offered in exchange.
