21-year-old Roman Lavrynovych, suspected of setting fire to property linked to the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, may have been recruited by Russian intelligence through Telegram Messenger.
According to an investigation by Schemes (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty), an analysis of Lavrynovych’s online activity shows that between 2022 and 2025, he had actively searched for jobs through London-based Telegram groups aimed at foreigners – mainly in construction and hospitality, often for cash-in-hand work.
A series of arson attacks in London took place on three separate days in May.
On May 8, a car that had previously belonged to Starmer was set on fire in a street where he once lived. On May 11, a fire broke out at the entrance of a building where Starmer had lived in the 1990s. On May 12, another fire occurred in a residential building previously occupied by the Prime Minister’s family.
Lavrynovych posted his last job-seeking message in one of those groups on May 3 – just five days before the car fire. He was last active on Telegram in the early hours of May 13, a few hours before being detained by British police in connection with the previous day’s arson attack.
On May 2, Lavrynovych had written in the Telegram group “London UA”: “Looking for a job, open to any options.” Two hours later, a user named Yuriy replied: “Message me privately.” Journalists noted that Yuriy had joined the group only a few days earlier.
Later, on May 28, at the request of journalists, an activist contacted Yuriy again asking about job opportunities. Yuriy offered work “building a Starbucks outside London.”
However, when contacted directly by journalists on May 30, he denied ever offering jobs to anyone. Only after being shown a screenshot of his exchange with Lavrynovych did he recall it, claiming it was “a job as an assistant to a Polish acquaintance,” and added that Lavrynovych allegedly never responded.
The day after that conversation – on May 3 – Lavrynovych posted another message in a different Telegram channel, “London Rabota,” stating: “Looking for a job, I have all the documents, willing to work as a laborer or foreman’s assistant.”
His final activity on Telegram was recorded at 1:31 a.m. Kyiv time on May 13. Later that morning, British police detained him, according to the investigation.
Analysts at Molfar Intelligence Institute reached similar conclusions, saying Lavrynovych’s digital footprint suggests possible attempts at recruitment by Russian operatives.
Following the launch of the arson investigation in the UK, the Financial Times, citing senior British government officials, reported that one of the main lines of inquiry was looking at possible Russian involvement.
Lavrynovych has been formally charged in connection with all three arson incidents. According to the BBC, he denied any involvement during police questioning and in court he pleaded not guilty.
Commenting to Schemes, former Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko said these attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a broader hybrid campaign:
“This is part of a broader confrontation. And as long as this confrontation remains interstate – even if the active phase of the war ends – Russia will continue to resort to such actions. Don’t forget, its efforts are directed not only against Ukraine, but also against Britain.”