Ukrainians convicted in PM Starmer arson plot.
Jury convicts two Ukrainians for arson targeting UK PM Starmer's linked properties.
Key Points
Investigators said forensic analysis linked Roman Lavrynovych to at least one attack: marks from Lavrynovych’s sneakers were matched to turpentine used in the Ellington Street fire.
The arrests included an apparent attempt to leave the UK: Lavrynovych was arrested at his home on May 13, 2025 after detectives recognized him from security-camera footage, while Stanislav Carpiuc was arrested on May 17 at Luton Airport moments before boarding a flight to Romania.
Prosecutors tied the fires to multiple Starmer-connected addresses with specific residency/management details, including one property in Islington rented to his sister-in-law at the time, and another linked site “managed by a company in which Starmer was a shareholder.”
The court set the schedule for sentencing with a named judicial officer: presiding judge Neil Garnham remanded both Lavrynovych and Carpiuc in custody ahead of sentencing on June 19.
The recruitment channel described in court reporting was via messaging platforms: Lavrynovych was recruited through Telegram/instant messaging by a Russian-speaking contact using the alias “El Money,” who offered payment in exchange for carrying out the attacks.
A jury in England convicted two Ukrainian men on June 15, 2026, for a series of firebomb attacks targeting property linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson following three fires set between May 8 and May 12, 2025, in London. Both men remain in custody ahead of sentencing on June 19.
Prosecutors said the men were recruited by a Russian-speaking handler using the alias "El Money," who offered Lavrynovych roughly £3,000 in cryptocurrency to carry out the attacks. A third suspect, Petro Pochynok, was acquitted after arguing he did not know the targets were connected to the prime minister. The Guardian reported that Starmer's sister-in-law, Judith Alexander, woke to an "orange glow" and smoke as one fire burned below her daughter's bedroom.
Three Fires in Five Nights Targeted Starmer's Past
The campaign began on May 8, 2025, when a Toyota RAV4 formerly owned by Starmer was torched in Kentish Town, North London, according to Metropolitan Police. Three days later, a fire was set at the front door of a property on Ellington Street, Islington — a building managed by a company in which Starmer held shares and rented at the time to his sister-in-law. A third fire hit Starmer's former private residence on May 12.
None of the fires destroyed their targets completely, but the Ellington Street blaze came dangerously close to residents. Investigators found turpentine at the scene and matched sneaker prints left in it directly to Lavrynovych. That forensic link proved central to the case against him. Lavrynovych was also convicted of reckless arson endangering life — a more serious charge than what Carpiuc faced.
Telegram Handler 'El Money' Recruited Men for Cash
Lavrynovych was recruited through Telegram by a Russian-speaking contact using the alias "El Money," also known as "Hroshi" — Ukrainian for "money," according to BBC News. The handler promised cryptocurrency payments and asked that the fires be recorded for promotion online. Lavrynovych told the court he acted out of financial desperation, saying he needed money for his father's medical treatment.
Investigative reporting by Financial Times and BBC News has since linked the "El Money" persona to Evgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old Russian diplomat. Police said they found no evidence that Lavrynovych or Carpiuc knew the targets were connected to Starmer. Commander Helen Flanagan of London Counter-Terrorism Policing said there was no clear ideological motive among the street-level attackers, but that the campaign was designed to "intimidate."
Carpiuc Caught at Airport, Lavrynovych Nabbed by CCTV
Police moved fast after the final fire. Lavrynovych was arrested at his home in Sydenham on May 13 — just one day after the last attack — after detectives spotted him on security-camera footage and matched it to the sneaker prints from Ellington Street. Carpiuc was caught four days later, on May 17, at Luton Airport, moments before boarding a flight to Romania, according to The Irish Times.
The trial ran for roughly six weeks at London's Old Bailey. Prosecution barrister Duncan Atkinson KC argued that both men intended to cause a "grave risk to life," regardless of whether they knew the target was the prime minister. Defense counsel for Lavrynovych, James Scobie KC, called his client a "pawn" of an "anonymous devil" still at large, according to The Guardian.
Diplomat Link Raises Pressure on UK-Russia Relations
Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service said the attacks were meant to "undermine public confidence" in British institutions. Starmer himself had previously called the campaign an "attack on democracy," according to Financial Times. The alleged link to a Russian diplomat has prompted calls from opposition leaders for a full review of how foreign embassy staff are monitored inside the UK.
Analysts have also flagged a broader pattern. Experts cited by Financial Times suggested "El Money" may be connected to NoName057(16), a pro-Kremlin group that typically runs cyberattacks. This case suggests those same networks may now be directing physical sabotage on British soil. The Russian Embassy denied any connection to the plot, calling the attacks "unlawful activities" and saying Russia "harbours no aggressive intentions towards Britain," according to BBC News.
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