Two men have been found guilty of arson attacks on property linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with investigators uncovering alleged links to a Russian diplomat. Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were convicted of conspiring to commit arson on property and a car associated with the Prime Minister. Co-defendant Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted of the same charge.
Details of the Attacks
A Toyota Rav4 previously owned by Starmer was set on fire in Kentish Town, north London, last May. Two properties were targeted with fire days later, including a north London residence owned by the Prime Minister and occupied by his sister-in-law and her family. The incidents occurred in the early hours while residents were sleeping, posing a significant risk to life and causing fear among homeowners.
Role of the Handler
The prosecution stated that Lavrynovych carried out the arson attacks after being recruited online by a Russian-speaking Telegram user named "El Money," who offered him £3,000 in cryptocurrency for recording the fires and ensuring they appeared in the news. Investigations have since linked the mysterious operative to the Russian state, with reports indicating that the attacks were part of a broader campaign of sabotage, provocation, and disinformation.
The BBC reported that EL is a young Russian diplomat trained by intelligence operatives and propagandists in information warfare, with connections to high-level authorities in Moscow. Lavrynovych had saved the contact as "El Money" in his phone and encountered the individual through a Telegram group for Ukrainians in London seeking employment. However, the same account posted pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian content on other channels, including statements like "It is obvious that Putin is the leader of the white race." EL also shared documents from NATO and the CIA, claiming his father leaked them.
Broader Sabotage Network
EL was actively spreading hatred online, operating a bogus far-right group called Direct Action, which supported Tommy Robinson, and paying individuals to carry out Islamophobic attacks on mosques. He also ran a fraudulent Islamic organization, the Takbir Foundation, which attempted to pay people to daub pro-Islamist graffiti to stir division and provoke the far right. The BBC identified a Russian diplomat, Evgeny Lyukshinn (initials EL), within the Direct Action Telegram group and other groups designed to incite hatred, including one called Radio Southport established after the stabbings there.
Lyukshinn, 23, is the son of a senior Russian diplomat who served as counsellor at the embassy in Denmark. He attended a "media school" at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, specializing in "information warfare" delivered by spies and close Putin allies, where he discussed conducting pro-Russian propaganda. While it remains unconfirmed that Lyukshinn is EL, he has been verified as a member of Direct Action and received training at the specialist institution.
Investigation and Aftermath
A Financial Times investigation identified a Russian online sabotage network as allegedly responsible for the attacks. However, a Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson stated there was no evidence linking any specific individual, group, or organization to the El Money social media account. After the attacks, El Money urged Lavrynovych to flee, saying, "You attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city." He advised Lavrynovych to use the codeword "geranium" if detained and promised a lawyer.
Lavrynovych, from Sydenham, south London, was charged on 15 May last year. Carpiuc was arrested at Luton Airport while awaiting a flight to Romania two days later. Both were remanded into custody ahead of sentencing on Friday.
Defence Statements
Construction worker Lavrynovych admitted starting the fire at the property but claimed he was coerced by El Money, who had previously instructed him to daub racist graffiti on an Islamic community centre and distribute anti-Muslim leaflets. Hotel worker Carpiuc, from Romford, east London, said he declined to participate and told Lavrynovych the scheme was "stupid" and unlawful. His former housemate, Mr Pochynok, a construction worker and delivery driver for Harrods, stated he was unaware of the car arson plot until it was too late. He believed Lavrynovych wanted help carrying luggage and fled when handed a camera phone to film the incident.
Official Comments
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London, stated there was no indication that El Money represented a "state threat." However, the driving force behind the attacks was to "cause concern" and "disruption" within communities and instil "fear" regarding the Prime Minister. She said, "The intentions of the defendants was clearly to take payment, and to carry out a crime for money. There was no ideological motivation around that, and there's no evidence to suggest that they knew who they were targeting." She confirmed that the defendants operated as criminal proxies for El Money and warned others against being lured by "easy cash." The true identity of El Money was not examined in depth during the trial.
