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Novaya Gazeta Europe
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Three British men found guilty of Wagner-linked arson attack in London — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Three British men have been found guilty of committing an arson attack on behalf of the Russian Wagner Group on a warehouse in London being used to supply humanitarian aid and satellite to Ukraine, BBC News reported on Tuesday. Jakeem Rose, 23, Ugnius Asmena, 20, and Nii Mensah, 23, were all found guilty on Tuesday at the Old Bailey court in London of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life. The attack, which caused around £1 million (€860,000) in damages in March 2024, was orchestrated by two other men, Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, who had already admitted to committing aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries. The men are the first to be convicted under the UK's National Security Act 2023 for such foreign-directed hostile activity. According to The Guardian, the court heard that Earl had told a Wagner Group operative he met on Telegram he wanted to carry out further 'missions' for the mercenaries following the warehouse fire. Further plots, the BBC reported, involved additional arson attacks on a west London restaurant and wine shop owned by Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a multi-millionaire and Russian dissident who was named a 'foreign agent' by Russia's Justice Ministry in June 2022, and a plot to abduct him. 'This case is a clear example of 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,' Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London's Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said on Tuesday. 'Seemingly motivated by the promise of money, they were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia,' he said. 'I hope these convictions send a strong warning of the very serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.' In late May, The Financial Times reported that British security officials were looking into whether Russia was behind three arson attacks on properties linked to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer perpetrated by two Ukrainian men and a Romanian national. In early June, Schemes, the investigative unit of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Ukrainian-language service, discovered that one of the men, Roman Lavrynovych, had posted in a job recruitment chat on Telegram that he was seeking employment. Such group chats are reportedly commonly used by Russian intelligence agencies to hire proxies, RFE/RL reported. In the last year, Moscow has been accused of carrying out numerous acts of sabotage and arson attacks on public buildings, transport networks and other infrastructure in several European countries, including Poland and Lithuania, as part of what experts believe is a hybrid warfare strategy designed to destabilise the West.
Sunday World
09-07-2025
- Sunday World
Dealer who wanted to link Kinahans, IRA and Russia found guilty of warehouse attack
Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group A 20-year-old drug dealer who had grand ambitions to 'build a link' between the IRA, the Kinahan Cartel and Russia, has been found guilty for his role in the burning down of a warehouse in London. Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack along with Gatwick airport cleaner Jake Reeves (23) on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group. Three men who acted as 'proxies' for Vladimir Putin's regime Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah and Jakeem Rose were tracked down after they set two units on fire in east London on March 20 last year. Apparently motivated by the lure of cash, Mensah (23) livestreamed on his phone as he and Rose (also 23) set fire to the industrial unit. Jake Reeves Meanwhile, a trial at the Old Bailey was told how fixer Asmena (20) waited in a car nearby as the warehouse in Leyton was targeted as it was being used to supply humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine. Earl and Reeves who had previously admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the terror group have become the first defendants to be convicted of acting as proxies for Wagner under the National Security Act 2023. Earl who has also admitted possessing cocaine and thousands of pounds in criminal cash had been plotting to kidnap the establishment's owner, the wealthy Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin. Mensah, Rose and Asmena have been found guilty of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life following an Old Bailey trial. Driver Paul English (61) was cleared of wrongdoing while Ashton Evans (20) was found guilty of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts relating to the Mayfair plot. However, he was cleared of failing to tell authorities about the warehouse arson while Dmirjus Paulauskas (23) was also cleared of two similar offences relating to both terrorist plots. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said the case clearly demonstrated how an organisation linked to the Russian state was using 'proxies', 'in this case British men, to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf'. 'The ringleaders, Earl and Reeves, willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state,' he said. 'I am pleased that, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to use the new National Security Act legislation, which meant the severity of Earl and Reeves's offending was reflected in the charges they faced.' The arsonists recorded the attack on their phones Sixty firefighters from eight crews had to get the blaze under control, which had put members of the public 'at great risk' according to Murphy, and it was only by good fortune 'nobody was seriously injured or worse'. The commander added that those involved, 'seemingly motivated by the promise of money, were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia'. He said: 'I hope these convictions send a strong warning of the very serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.' Both businesses in the damaged units were Ukrainian-owned. The Met's Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation when it emerged that another warehouse linked to one of the companies had been subject to an arson attack in Madrid. The court was told how investigators gathered 'overwhelming' evidence linking the arsonists to the Leyton attack. The three arsonists who carried out the attack, Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah, and Jakeem Rose As Mr English drove the trio in his Kia Picanto through south London, which was covered by CCTV, they were tracked by phone data and traffic cameras. Rose and Mensah were also seen on footage getting out of the vehicle, and climbing over a wall as they approached the warehouses. Rose dropped a very large knife with his DNA on it, as they fled the scene, while Mensah later messaged Reeves to say he 'left his Rambo at the scene'. Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC said that while the arsonists were motivated by the promise of money, Earl and Reeves had been working on behalf of Russia. Earl had told a Wagner operative he met on Telegram he was keen to carry out a series of 'missions' and admitted preparing to set fire to the Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, west London. He also admitted to the kidnap plot of owner Mr Chichvarkin, described as a 'high-profile Russian dissident and refugee' who has been vocal in his criticism of Putin and the war in Ukraine. Dylan Earl Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 9th Reeves, from Croydon, south London, who was also prepared to accept money from a foreign intelligence service to target the Russian dissident had sent an unknown contact Mr Chichvarkin's name and said he would make an 'amazing target'. Earl's Wagner contact, named Privet Bot, instructed him to watch the period drama The Americans and use it as a 'manual' for his covert mission. Set during the Cold War, the television series is about two KGB agents posing as Americans in Washington DC to spy on the American government. Drug dealer Earl also appeared to brag in further chats with Privet Bot that he had criminal connections and could 'sort' an introduction to the IRA and Kinahan Irish organised crime group. He was arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and videos of the warehouse fire being started were found on his iPhone. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the convicted defendants would be sentenced on a date to be fixed in the autumn.
Sunday World
09-07-2025
- Sunday World
Dealer who wanted to link ‘Kinahans' with Russia found guilty of warehouse arson attack
Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group The three arsonists who carried out the attack, Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah, and Jakeem Rose The arsonists recorded the attack on their phones A 20-year-old drug dealer who had grand ambitions to 'build a link' between the IRA, the Kinahan Cartel and Russia, has been found guilty for his role in the burning down of a warehouse in London. Dylan Earl orchestrated the arson attack along with Gatwick airport cleaner Jake Reeves (23) on the Ukraine-linked facility on the orders of Russia's terrorist Wagner Group. Three men who acted as 'proxies' for Vladimir Putin's regime Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah and Jakeem Rose were tracked down after they set two units on fire in east London on March 20 last year. Apparently motivated by the lure of cash, Mensah (23) livestreamed on his phone as he and Rose (also 23) set fire to the industrial unit. Jake Reeves Meanwhile, a trial at the Old Bailey was told how fixer Asmena (20) waited in a car nearby as the warehouse in Leyton was targeted as it was being used to supply humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine. Earl and Reeves who had previously admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the terror group have become the first defendants to be convicted of acting as proxies for Wagner under the National Security Act 2023. Earl who has also admitted possessing cocaine and thousands of pounds in criminal cash had been plotting to kidnap the establishment's owner, the wealthy Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin. Mensah, Rose and Asmena have been found guilty of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life following an Old Bailey trial. Driver Paul English (61) was cleared of wrongdoing while Ashton Evans (20) was found guilty of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts relating to the Mayfair plot. However, he was cleared of failing to tell authorities about the warehouse arson while Dmirjus Paulauskas (23) was also cleared of two similar offences relating to both terrorist plots. Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said the case clearly demonstrated how an organisation linked to the Russian state was using 'proxies', 'in this case British men, to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf'. 'The ringleaders, Earl and Reeves, willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state,' he said. 'I am pleased that, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to use the new National Security Act legislation, which meant the severity of Earl and Reeves's offending was reflected in the charges they faced.' The arsonists recorded the attack on their phones Sixty firefighters from eight crews had to get the blaze under control, which had put members of the public 'at great risk' according to Murphy, and it was only by good fortune 'nobody was seriously injured or worse'. The commander added that those involved, 'seemingly motivated by the promise of money, were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia'. He said: 'I hope these convictions send a strong warning of the very serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.' Both businesses in the damaged units were Ukrainian-owned. The Met's Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation when it emerged that another warehouse linked to one of the companies had been subject to an arson attack in Madrid. The court was told how investigators gathered 'overwhelming' evidence linking the arsonists to the Leyton attack. The three arsonists who carried out the attack, Ugnius Asmena, Nii Mensah, and Jakeem Rose As Mr English drove the trio in his Kia Picanto through south London, which was covered by CCTV, they were tracked by phone data and traffic cameras. Rose and Mensah were also seen on footage getting out of the vehicle, and climbing over a wall as they approached the warehouses. Rose dropped a very large knife with his DNA on it, as they fled the scene, while Mensah later messaged Reeves to say he 'left his Rambo at the scene'. Prosecutor Duncan Penny KC said that while the arsonists were motivated by the promise of money, Earl and Reeves had been working on behalf of Russia. Earl had told a Wagner operative he met on Telegram he was keen to carry out a series of 'missions' and admitted preparing to set fire to the Hide Restaurant and Hedonism Wines in Mayfair, west London. He also admitted to the kidnap plot of owner Mr Chichvarkin, described as a 'high-profile Russian dissident and refugee' who has been vocal in his criticism of Putin and the war in Ukraine. Reeves, from Croydon, south London, who was also prepared to accept money from a foreign intelligence service to target the Russian dissident had sent an unknown contact Mr Chichvarkin's name and said he would make an 'amazing target'. Earl's Wagner contact, named Privet Bot, instructed him to watch the period drama The Americans and use it as a 'manual' for his covert mission. Set during the Cold War, the television series is about two KGB agents posing as Americans in Washington DC to spy on the American government. Drug dealer Earl also appeared to brag in further chats with Privet Bot that he had criminal connections and could 'sort' an introduction to the IRA and Kinahan Irish organised crime group. He was arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and videos of the warehouse fire being started were found on his iPhone. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the convicted defendants would be sentenced on a date to be fixed in the autumn.
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Three men working for Wagner terrorist group convicted of arson attack on London warehouse linked to Ukraine
The case is the first to result in convictions of British criminals acting as proxies for the proscribed Wagner Group 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
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Three men working for Wagner terrorist group convicted of arson attack on London warehouse linked to Ukraine
THREE MEN working for the Wagner Russian terrorist group were yesterday convicted of an arson attack on a warehouse linked to Ukraine. Advertisement 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 Drug dealer Dylan Earl, 20, and Gatwick Airport cleaner Jake Reeves, 23, orchestrated the plot on behalf of the Russian Wagner group of mercenaries. Advertisement READ MORE ON RUSSIA 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 1 Drug dealer Dylan Earl, 20, and Gatwick Airport cleaner Jake Reeves, 23, orchestrated the plot on behalf of Russia's Wagner group Credit: AP Advertisement
