Police are said to be keeping an “open mind” to the possibility of Russian involvement in several arson attacks made on properties linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Officials were last night investigating possible Russian involvement in arson attacks at properties linked to Keir Starmer. The probe comes as three Ukrainian-born men were charged after two homes and a car were torched.
The government is looking at whether the men were recruited by the Kremlin and police are said to be keeping an “open mind”. Petro Pochynok, 34, is accused of conspiring to damage by fire with intent to endanger life. The PM’s former Toyota RAV4 was set alight on May 8, a property where he once lived in Islington, North London, on May 11, and his old home in Kentish Town, which his wife’s sister rents, on May 12.
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Models Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, are charged with plotting arsons between April 17 and May 13. Pochynok and Lavrynovych are Ukrainian citizens and Carpiuc is Romanian.
All three, who deny the charges against them, were remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on June 6. Counter-terrorism police and prosecutors say the motive remains under investigation, while talks continue on how to respond if Russia proves to be involved.
A Western intelligence source told this paper: “Russian involvement was the first option considered after these incidents took place.
“There is a pattern in the past of incidents here taking place on the Kremlin’s authority and then being very flimsily covered up, if covered up at all.”
Prof Anthony Glees, of Buckingham University Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies, said: “The fear is the Russian secret service regard Britain as a relatively safe place from which it can target the opponents of Putin’s Russia.”
No10 declined to comment.
Putin’s agents have been linked to attacks on UK soil, including the 2006 fatal poisoning of defected Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. In 2018 ex-Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia were targeted with the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, Wilts. Dawn Sturgess, a member of the public, died.
In October Dylan Earl, 20, pleaded guilty to an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in East London on behalf of Russia.
Britain and other Nato allies have been warned of a possible spike in attacks by Russia for supporting Kyiv.