Old Bailey convicts two men over Russian-ordered arson at Keir Starmer's properties

The Telegram recruitment

Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian construction worker living in south London, was approached on Telegram in September 2024 by a Russian-speaking contact using the alias 'El Money'. The handler offered money for a series of increasingly criminal acts. First, Lavrynovych was paid to post flyers for a far-right group called Direct Action. Then he sprayed Islamophobic graffiti on mosques and Islamic centres. Finally, El Money asked him to set fire to properties, without revealing their connection to the prime minister.

Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city.

Three nights of arson

In May 2025, Lavrynovych and his friend Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian-born Ukrainian, carried out three attacks. On 8 May, they torched a Toyota RAV4 that had once belonged to Keir Starmer in Kentish Town. On 11 May, they set fire to a flat in Islington where Starmer had previously held an interest. The following night, they targeted the house in Kentish Town where the prime minister's sister-in-law, Judith Alexander, lived with her family. All fires started in the early hours while occupants slept.

We could see the smoke was getting thicker and going upstairs. The fact that my daughter's room was right above the fire and if I did not wake up, what might have happened...

No one was injured, but the court noted the serious risk to life. Starmer later described the events as an "attack on democracy". Lavrynovych was arrested just hours after the final blaze.

Trial at the Old Bailey

A six-week trial at London's Old Bailey concluded on Monday. The jury deliberated for seven and a half hours before convicting Lavrynovych and Carpiuc of conspiracy to damage property. Lavrynovych was also found guilty of two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. A third defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was acquitted. Sentencing is set for Friday. Commander Helen Flanagan of the Met's counter-terrorism unit said the men acted for money without ideological motivation and did not know the identity of the target.

There's one winner in this case. The anonymous devil who manipulated, used and won.... But Russia – let's call it out – Russia are interested in what this country does in support of Ukraine.

The Russian state connection

Investigations by the FT and BBC traced the handler to Russia. The FT revealed that the Telegram group Direct Action was a fake far-right entity created by Russian operatives to inflame societal tensions in Britain. BBC identified the handler as Evgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old Russian diplomat and the son of a senior official, who was trained in information warfare. Messages showed he offered Russian citizenship and praised Vladimir Putin. The Russian embassy denied any involvement, calling the allegations unfounded. The network was also linked to NoName057(16), a pro-Russian hacking collective indicted by western governments.