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A British jury on Tuesday convicted three men of arson in an attack on an east London warehouse that was storing equipment destined for Ukraine. Authorities said Russian intelligence was behind the plot.
Prosecutors said the March 20, 2024, attack was planned by agents of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, acting on behalf of Russian military intelligence. The British government has deemed Wagner a terrorist organization.
BRITISH MAN LINKED TO RUSSIAN MERCENARY GROUP CHARGED WITH PLOTTING ARSON ATTACK ON LONDON BUSINESS
In this undated handout photo taken in 2024 and provided by the London Metropolitan Police on Monday, June 9, 2025, authorities say Jakeem Rose and Nii Mensah can be seen shortly before setting fire to a warehouse in east London. (London Metropolitan Police via AP)
The prosecution said Wagner used British intermediaries to recruit the men to target an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, where generators and Starlink satellite equipment bound for Ukraine were being stored. The Starlinks are frequently used by Ukraine’s military in fending off Russia’s invasion.
Authorities said the arson was part of a campaign of disruption across Europe that Western officials blame on Moscow and its proxies.
POLAND ORDERS RUSSIAN CONSULATE IN KRAKÓW CLOSED AFTER BLAMING KREMLIN FOR 2024 ARSON
This undated handout photo taken in 2024 and provided by the London Metropolitan Police on Monday, June 9, 2025, shows damage to a warehouse in east London which was storing goods for Ukraine, after a fire which prosecutors said was organized on behalf of Russia’s intelligence services. (London Metropolitan Police via AP)
A jury at London’s Central Criminal Court found Jakeem Rose, 23; Ugnius Asmena, 20; and Nii Mensah, 23, guilty of aggravated arson. A fourth man, Paul English, 61, was acquitted.
The fire caused around 1 million pounds ($1.35 million) worth of damage. Prosecutors said the attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 21, and Jake Reeves, 23, who pleaded guilty to aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group before the trial started. They also pleaded guilty to offenses under the U.K.’s National Security Act 2023.
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These undated handout photos provided by the London Metropolitan Police on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, show Dylan Earl, left and Jake Reeves, right. (London Metropolitan Police via AP)
Two other men were on trial over the arson and related plots. One was found guilty Tuesday of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts, while the other was cleared.