UK security officials are investigating whether Russian actors may have recruited a trio of Ukrainian born men charged with starting fires at two London homes and a vehicle linked to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – FT reports.
Senior government figures reportedly said that discussions are being held on how best to respond if that is the case, with one official saying that if Russian actors were found to be involved, events risked “spiralling out of control.”
British newspaper The Mail on Sunday also reports having been told by UK government sources that the police and national security service MI5 are probing into whether the Kremlin may have ordered the attacks in response to Britain’s support for Ukraine.
The string of recent incidents previously reported by Kyiv Post involved a Toyota RAV4 car set alight on May 8, a fire at a residential property on May 11, then another fire at a property converted to apartments on May 12. Nobody was hurt in the attacks which all occurred in the north London area.
Three Ukrainian-born men living in London have since been charged with criminal rather than national security offences in connection with the fires. They are:
- Roman Lavrynovych, 21, a builder and aspiring model charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life
- Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, a Romanian citizen born in Ukraine, also an aspiring model charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life
- Petro Pochynok, 34, a self-professed fashion entrepreneur, accused of conspiring with his two co-defendants, as well as “with others unknown”, to commit arson
The motives for the attacks remain unexplained and UK authorities are understood to be keeping an open mind and pursuing several lines of investigation into what may lie behind them. This leaves the possibility that – should a Russian link be established – this may not be a state sponsored act, not might the suspects have even been aware of any Russian involvement.
A source speaking to the Mail on Sunday said that the investigation is looking into whether other elements in Russia, from militia organisations to criminal gangs, may have recruited the three men.
The FT’s inquiries have found that none of the Ukrainian-born men – who are due to appear in court on June 6 – appear to have an “ideological affinity” with Russia. A request for comment from Downing Street and from Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, did not yield a response.
Theories about a possible Russian connection come hot on the heels of an increased wave of sabotage attacks on European and US targets and an earlier warning by UK spy chief Richard Moore that Russia’s sabotage campaign in Europe has become “dangerous and beyond irresponsible.”