Six Britons acting for Russia’s Wagner group have been jailed for setting fire to a London warehouse storing humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The group was sentenced at the Old Bailey, where the judge said they had planned a 'campaign of terrorism and sabotage' in the interests of the Russian state.
Dylan Earl, 21, received 17 years in prison plus six years on extended licence for his 'leading role'. Jake Reeves, 24, from Croydon, was jailed for 12 years with one year on extended licence. They are the first to be convicted under the National Security Act 2023.
Jakeem Rose, 23, from Croydon, was sentenced to eight years and 10 months; Nii Mensah, 23, from Thornton Heath, to nine years; Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was homeless, to seven years; all were given an additional year on extended licence for aggravated arson. Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, was jailed for nine years plus a year for failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.
The arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton, east London, in March last year put 60 firefighters at risk and caused £1 million in damage. The warehouse was targeted because it supplied humanitarian aid and Starlink equipment to Ukraine.
The court heard that Earl and Reeves did not leave their bedrooms while organising the attack for the Wagner group. Police analysis of Earl's phone showed he was in contact with the group on Telegram and had videos of the fire. Further missions were planned, including arson and a possible kidnapping of Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin.
Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the case illustrated the Russian Federation's efforts to gain global influence using social media to enlist saboteurs. The Wagner group is proscribed by the UK as a terrorist organisation.
