Russia link as two guilty of Starmer arson attack

Two men found guilty of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property connected to Keir Starmer appear to have operated under instruction of an online handler with links to Russia.

- Priya Bharadia, Dan Sabbagh

Roman Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, from Romania, were found guilty at the Old Bailey yesterday. Another Ukrainian man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared of the same charge.

Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire being reckless as to whether life was endangered on 11 and 12 May last year. He was acquitted of two counts of arson with intent to risk life.

During the trial, the jury heard the three men had been offered payment to set fire to a car and two houses linked to Starmer by a mysterious Russian-speaking figure named El Money, or “Hroshi” in Ukrainian.

Reports in the Financial Times and BBC yesterday suggested the attacks had been coordinated through Telegram messages from an account with links to a network based in Russia. The BBC reported that a 23-year-old Russian diplomat, Evgeny Lyukshin, masterminded the attacks.

But others cautioned that no such charges had been brought.