Six Wagner Group operatives have been sentenced for setting fire to a warehouse storing Ukrainian aid as part of what judges called a "planned campaign of terrorism and sabotage" for Russia. The arson attack in Leyton, east London, on 20th March 2024 caused approximately £1 million in damage and required 60 firefighters to extinguish.
The warehouse was deliberately targeted because it housed humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment destined for Ukraine. The attack put lives at risk and formed part of a broader Russian sabotage operation using British men as proxies.
International sabotage network
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the case demonstrated "the efforts of the Russian Federation to gain pernicious global influence using social media to enlist saboteurs vast distances from Moscow." She noted the arson was not isolated, with another warehouse attacked in Spain ten days later and discussions about potential strikes in the Czech Republic.
The mastermind Dylan Earl (21) had planned additional "missions" after the warehouse attack, including targeting a Mayfair restaurant and wine shop and kidnapping wealthy Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin. The court heard Earl was driven by "simple and ugly greed" and belonged to multiple pro-Russian propaganda channels.
Record sentences under new law
Earl, from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, received 17 years in prison plus six years on extended licence for his leading role in the terrorist activities. His co-organiser Jake Reeves (24), from Croydon, was sentenced to 12 years plus one year on extended licence.
The pair became the first people convicted under the National Security Act 2023 after admitting charges against them. Four other men received sentences between seven and nine years, with Jakeem Rose (23) getting eight years and ten months, Nii Mensah (23) receiving nine years, homeless Ugnius Asmena (21) sentenced to seven years, and Ashton Evans (20) jailed for nine years plus one year extended licence for failing to disclose information about the Mayfair plot.
Bedroom orchestration revealed
Earl and Reeves coordinated the entire operation from their bedrooms, with Earl communicating through Telegram with a Wagner Group operative called "Privet Bot." The Russian contact instructed Earl to watch Cold War spy drama "The Americans" as a "manual" for covert missions.
When arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Earl possessed videos of the warehouse fire on his iPhone, a Russian flag, more than £20,000 in cash, and cocaine worth £34,000. Evidence revealed he had access to cryptocurrency worth over £58,000 and images of cash bundles totalling an estimated £175,000.
Legal teams highlight exploitation
Defence lawyers emphasised how young British men were exploited by Russian operatives. Paul Hynes KC described Earl as "easy meat" for exploitation, saying he viewed the world through the "prism of online gaming," while Henry Blaxland KC highlighted how "the Russian state and agents of the Russian state have managed to penetrate the UK through taking advantage of adolescents buried in their computers."
The court heard the men tasked with carrying out the arson were "amateurs" motivated by promises of money they never received. Reeves' judgement was described as "distorted" by excessive ketamine use.
Security response milestone
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the case clearly demonstrated "an organisation linked to the Russian state using 'proxies', in this case British men, to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf." He welcomed the use of new National Security Act legislation to reflect the severity of the offending.
Frank Ferguson from the Crown Prosecution Service called it "a pivotal moment in our national security efforts," saying the National Security Act gave authorities "the tools to confront emerging threats from hostile states with greater precision and force." Security minister Dan Jarvis warned that Russia's attempts to undermine UK support for Ukraine would not succeed.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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