&w=3840&q=100)
UK court convicts 3 men in Russia-linked arson plot targeting Ukraine aid
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 organisation.
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.
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 UK's National Security Act 2023.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ukrainian attack on beach in Russia's Kursk kills three, injures seven
A Ukrainian drone attack on a beach in the Russian city of Kursk killed three people, including a Russian serviceman engaged in rescue operations, and injured seven, acting Regional Governor Alexander Khinshtein said early on Wednesday (July 9, 2025). Mr. Khinshtein, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the attack had been carried out deliberately in an area frequented by families in the region that borders Ukraine. Five of the seven injured, including a 5-year-old child, were in a serious condition in hospital. He said one of the dead was a member of Russia's National Guard who had been trying to evacuate people from the scene. "He had arrived at the beach with his comrades after people began reporting about the drone attack," Mr. Khinshtein said. "The senior sergeant had begun to evacuate people when a second explosion occurred. Unfortunately, he did not survive." Reuters could not independently verify the account and there was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials. Mr. Khinshtein also said a Ukrainian drone had attacked a hospital in the town of Rylsk, closer to the Ukrainian border than the city of Kursk, injuring two people, blowing out windows and setting a roof ablaze. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians in the course of the war, now well into its fourth year, something that both sides deny. Ukrainian forces staged a large incursion into the Kursk region nearly a year ago. The Kremlin has said all Kyiv's forces have since been ejected from the region, but Ukrainian officials say their troops are still carrying out operations there.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
ON CAM: Russian Drone SLAMS Into Kharkiv Building, Triggers Massive Explosion
/ Jul 09, 2025, 03:27AM IST Massive Russian airstrikes hit Ukraine's Kharkiv region as over 50 drones and bombs were reportedly deployed. A shocking new video, shared by Press TV, captures the moment a drone crashes directly into a building, causing a massive explosion and thick smoke. Ukrainian media reports that at least three people were killed, with multiple apartment blocks struck. Watch
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Watch: Violent clash in Armenian parliament as government targets opposition
A violent brawl broke out on Tuesday inside Armenia's National Assembly, involving opposition lawmaker Artur Sargsyan. The incident occurred amid rising tensions in the country. After the brawl, lawmakers voted to strip Sargsyan of his parliamentary immunity, paving the way for charges against him over his calls to oust President Nikol Sargsyan, a member of the opposition bloc Armenia, had just finished a speech when the fight started. In his speech, he said the case against him was decided before any trial and called Armenia "a bastion of dictatorship" where "everything is decided in advance, written down, approved." After his speech, when he tried to leave, other lawmakers blocked him, and security guards rushed in, as videos from news outlets lawmakers voted to remove Sargsyan's immunity. Without this protection, he could be prosecuted. He turned himself in to Armenia's Investigative Committee, which accused him and 15 others of planning to overthrow the government. President Pashinyan's government says it is acting to stop a coup attempt. CHURCH LEADERS ARRESTED The political crisis in Armenia has deepened after several opposition members, including leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church, have been arrested. Important church figures -- Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan -- are in pre-trial detention on charges of being involved in the alleged coup June 28, many supporters gathered outside the church headquarters near the capital, Yerevan, to stop Ajapahyan's arrest. He later turned himself in. The Investigative Committee claims that the plotters planned bombings, arson, and accidents on main roads to cause chaos. Both church leaders deny these and Galstanyan are members of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, which led major protests against Pashinyan last year. Initially focused on territorial losses, the movement has since expanded to broader government criticisms, fuelling tensions between the president and the Armenian Apostolic government has also targeted other critics. On Monday, police raided a large energy company owned by Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who has spoken against Pashinyan. Parliament passed a law on July 3 that allows the government to nationalise this company. Karapetyan was arrested shortly before this law was approved, after calling for the government's WITH AZERBAIJANArmenia's political unrest is connected to its ongoing conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan. Since the early 1990s, the two countries have fought over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Armenian-backed forces took control of Karabakh and surrounding areas inside 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured large parts of this territory after almost 30 years. A quick military campaign in September 2023 gave Azerbaijan full control over Karabakh. Armenia also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan.- EndsTrending Reel
