Three men working for Wagner terrorist group convicted of arson attack on London warehouse linked to Ukraine
RUSSIAN PLOT Three men working for Wagner terrorist group convicted of arson attack on London warehouse linked to Ukraine
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
THREE MEN working for the Wagner Russian terrorist group were yesterday convicted of an arson attack on a warehouse linked to Ukraine.
The trio caused £1 million worth of damage to an industrial unit in Leyton, East London, destroying £100,000 worth of satellite communication equipment destined for Ukraine on March 20 last year.
An Old Bailey jury yesterday convicted gang members Nii Mensah, 23, Jakeem Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life.
Mensah, of Thornton Heath, South London, livestreamed the warehouse blaze to Earl after he and Rose, from Croydon, set fire to the building as Asmena waited in a car.
The case is the first to result in convictions of British criminals acting as proxies for the proscribed Wagner Group.
Drug dealer Dylan Earl, 20, and Gatwick Airport cleaner Jake Reeves, 23, orchestrated the plot on behalf of the Russian Wagner group of mercenaries.
They planned further arson attacks on a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair and the kidnap of the owner, wealthy Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin.
They are the first defendants to be convicted of offences under the National Security Act 2023, designed to thwart attacks in the UK by hostile foreign states.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb adjourned sentencing until a date to be fixed in the autumn.
Moment flames engulf car outside Keir Starmer's home as man arrested over 'arson' attack on TWO properties linked to PM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
7/7 'White Widow' Samantha Lewthwaite 'still alive' according to bombshell intel
Samantha Lewthawaite left the UK in 2008 and married a man who had ties to terrorist organisations al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab and is believed to be associated with attacks in Africa Samantha Lewthawaite, the woman who married one of the 7/7 suicide bombers, better known as the "White Widow" might still be alive, according to bombshell intel. The daughter of a British soldier who went on to become a Muslim convert and was married to Germaine Lindsay, who killed 26 out of the 52 people who died in the coordinated attacks in London in 2005. She has since been wanted for a number of terrorist attacks in Africa after she fled the UK. She has been featured prominently this week as articles and TV programmes mark the 20th anniversary of the deadly attack. Following her disappearance, she has become wanted in connection with terrorism charges over attacks in the country between 2012 and 2019, killing 244 people. Rumours have circulated since her disappearance that she died in a drone strike but a senior source who contacted a reporter at the country's Standard newspaper claims she is very much alive and was living in neighbouring Uganda as recently as last year. She is now believed to be based in Somalia, and is thought to be part of the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab cell, as reported by MailOnline. She previously left the UK with her children as a free woman in 2008. She landed in Johannesburg, South Africa, and went on to marry a second time. Her second husband Fami Salim, was a Kenyan with familial links to both al-Qaeda and al-Shabaab. Lewthawaite gained notoriety for marrying Muslim convert Lindsay, a Jamaican-born carpet-fitter in an Islamic chatroom when she was 18. In an interview with the Sun, for which she was paid £30,000, she branded his actions as abhorrent. She was placed in a safe house after their home in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was the subject of an arson attack. The White Widow went on to give birth to a daughter shortly after the bombings and she was given the middle name "Shahidah," meaning "martyr" in Arabic. Ex-Metropolitan Police anti-terrorism officer David Videcette recalled his views on the White Widow in an interview for the Netflix series, "World's Most Wanted". He said: "Samantha played dumb – I am just the wife. I really pressed hard to have her arrested. "I really wanted her on the suspect list. Sadly, the senior investigating officer felt there was not enough evidence to prosecute and the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] were going to say 'no'. I massively regret that she got this opportunity to kill other people." It comes as Britain marks 20 years since the London bombings on July 7, 2005 this week, in which 52 people died and hundreds were injured. The attacks left witnesses, including first responders, horrified by the sheer devastation and destruction the horrific attack caused.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Air India breaks silence after report suggests pilots may have made fatal error
Air India has spoken out after crash investigators shared a preliminary report into the disaster suggested switches to the engines' fuel supplies may have been turned off seconds after it left the runway Air India officials have spoken out after crash investigators suggested pilot error could be behind last month's Air India crash The aircraft, which had only just set off for Gatwick, suddenly crashed into a medical college after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on June 12. British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh miraculously made it out alive, while 241 people onboard and 29 people on the ground were declared dead. Now, analysis of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's Black Box indicates a "possibility" that the pilots could have made a mistake while operating the jet. The early assessments indicate no apparent fault with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which went down shortly after take off. A preliminary report into the disaster points to switches to the engines' fuel supplies being turned off seconds after it left the runway. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the lead pilot on the journey, with Clive Kunder acting as his co-pilot. The findings of the probe, which is run by the the US National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and GE Aerospace, are starting to be made public. Indian investigators recovered the black boxes from the wreckage site a couple of days after the crash. These boxes - which are typically orange, not black - are considered the most important pieces of forensic evidence following a plane crash. There are typically two sturdy devices, the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. The black boxes were flown from Ahmedabad to the national capital, New Delhi, in an Indian Air Force aircraft amid tight security early this week. The investigation could take weeks or months. A committee is expected to file an official preliminary report within three months. Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner to prevent future incidents. An Air India spokesperson has broken their silence since news of the report was made public, they said: "Air India stands in solidarity with the families and those affected by the AI171 accident. We continue to mourn the loss and are fully committed to providing support during this difficult time. "We acknowledge receipt of the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) today, 12 July 2025. Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully co-operate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses. "Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB."
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Russia accuses Trump of ‘sponsoring terrorist scum' after US agrees to send weapons and key Patriots to Ukraine via NATO
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSIA has lashed out at Donald Trump after the US president agreed to send vital Patriot air defence systems to help Ukraine. Trump told NBC News that "we're going to be sending Patriots to NATO, and then NATO will distribute that". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A soldier walks past Patriot air defence systems installed at the military hub for Ukraine Credit: AFP 7 US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One Credit: AFP 7 A soldier stands in front of a Patriot surface-to-air missile system Credit: AFP 7 Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Vladimir Putin Credit: AFP Kyiv has long sought to get more Patriots, which are regarded as among the best air defence systems in the world. The White House's announcement will come as a huge relief to Ukrainians as they continue to face relentless Russian missile and drone strikes. But Russia has reacted furiously to the news, accusing Ukraine's military backers of sponsoring "terrorist scum". Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova told the state-news agency TASS: "Those who supply weapons to the Kyiv regime become accomplices in the murder of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure." She added that those supporting Ukraine's war effort "know the facts and continue to sponsor the terrorist scum". It comes as Donald Trump has voiced growing frustration with Vladimir Putin after following a call with Russia's warmongering dictator. Trump, who vowed to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of becoming president, has said he is "not happy" about progress in bringing the conflict to a close. While Russian and Ukrainian representatives have met for peace talks, Putin's forces have ramped up their brutal bombardments. "I think I'll have a major statement to make on Russia on Monday," he told NBC. Russian attacks on Ukraine have intensified over the past weeks, with hundreds of drones and missiles pounding the country's major cities. Moment Putin's new AI war drone smashes into RUSSIAN house on test mission On Tuesday night, Ukraine was hit by a record 728 drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of a "positive dialogue" with Trump on making sure Kyiv received vital military aid promptly. He said on Monday: "Air defense remains the top priority for protecting lives. "We are also actively advancing agreements on investing in our domestic weapons production, including all types of drones. "Special focus is on interceptor drones." The new deal is expected to see weapons sold to NATO allies in Europe, which can then be supplied to Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington continues "to encourage our NATO Allies to provide those weapons" since they have them in stocks. "Then we can enter into financial agreements with us where they can purchase the replacements," he added. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said: "Russia's continued massive attacks against Ukrainian civilians are deplorable. "I've spoken with President Trump and am working closely with allies to get Ukraine the help they need." It comes after Moscow confirmed the death of another top Russian military chief. The death of Colonel Sergei Ilyin, commander of Russia's notorious 155th Marine Brigade, has been revealed by authorities. The 155th has been accused by Kyiv of committing numerous war crimes in Ukraine - including during the occupation of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostome. 7 A Ukrainian firefighter works to extinguish a fire in a horses' stable following Russian drone strikes Credit: AFP 7 Ukrainian and German soldiers are seen during the visit of the Ukrainian President and the German Defence Minister to a military training area Credit: AFP
