On Monday, a court convicted two men of conspiring to set fires at properties and a car connected to Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain. This followed one man’s recruitment through a Russian-language Telegram account.
The incidents involved arson at two houses and a vehicle associated with Mr. Starmer. These events unfolded over a five-day span in May 2025.
Roman Lavrynovych, aged 22, confessed to receiving instructions from this Telegram account, which adopted a Ukrainian name translating to “EL Money.” He faced convictions for two counts of committing arson recklessly, endangering lives.
Stanislav Carpiuc, aged 27, originally from Ukraine and holding Romanian nationality, was also found guilty for his participation. However, a third individual, Petro Pochynok, 35, a Ukrainian national, was acquitted of conspiracy to commit arson.
During the trial at the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, Mr. Lavrynovych claimed ignorance about Mr. Starmer’s identity during the attacks. He, a Ukrainian worker engaged in construction and moving jobs, indicated his motive was financial. An anonymous account contacted him via a social media group for Ukrainians in London seeking work in late 2024.
An image from the Metropolitan Police depicts a burning car involved in the arson attacks targeting Mr. Starmer.