Russia was behind the arson attack that targeted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, an investigation has revealed.
Two foreign nationals were found guilty of plotting to damage property linked to Sir Keir Starmer in an arson attack last year.
Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty at the Old Bailey this afternoon, after targeting two properties and a car linked to the Prime Minister in May 2025.
An investigation by the BBC has revealed that the attack was part of a wider campaign by the Russian state.
An anonymous handler, known by the initials EL, directed Lavrynovych to set alight a Toyota previously owned by Sir Keir, in exchange for Russian citizenship, alongside other attacks, they claim.
They suggest that the man behind the initials EL, is a young Russian diplomat, Evgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old son of a senior official.
The Russian embassy said: “We reject any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities.”
It also said that Russia poses “no threat to the United Kingdom or its people and harbours no aggressive intentions towards Britain”.
The attacks on Sir Keir Starmer’s properties have been claimed to have been backed by Russia
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Three days after the attack on the Toyota, two homes were torched, including one rented out to Sir Keir’s sister-in-law Judith Alexander, which he still owned, in Islington.
During the trial, Carpiuc told the Old Bailey that his friend Lavrynovych carried out the first alleged arson attack for “money’ – and that he had tried to persuade him not to do it.
Lavrynovych had wanted money from EL by May 10 to pay for his father’s medical treatment, Carpiuc told the jury.
Sir Keir’s sister was reportedly inside the Islington property with her family when it was set alight by Lavrynovych.
Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, (left) and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, (right) were found guilty at the Old Bailey this afternoon | MET POLICE
The attacks in the middle of the night while people were in bed asleep “posed a serious threat to life and left householders terrified”, the Old Bailey heard.
The Old Bailey jury deliberated their verdict for seven-and-a-half hours this afternoon.
A third man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit arson.
Previously, El Money had tasked him to paint racist graffiti on an Islamic community centre, and post anti-Muslim fliers around for money.
The anonymous Russian speaker, thought to be Evgeny Lyukshin, had offered Lavrynovych £3,000 in cryptocurrency if the blazes were filmed and got on the news.
Following the convictions, Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said there was nothing to indicate El Money was a “state threat”.
However, the motivation behind the attacks had been to “cause concern” and “disruption” in the community within the UK and “fear” for the Prime Minister, she said.