Arson attacks on properties linked to UK PM Keir Starmer

Over five days in May 2025, three arson attacks targeted property in the Kentish Town area of north London linked to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In the early hours of 8 May a Toyota RAV4 he had previously owned was set alight, and on 11 and 12 May the front doors of two houses connected to him were set on fire using white spirit. No one was hurt. The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation because of the connection to a serving prime minister, although the case was prosecuted as arson rather than terrorism.

On 15 June 2026 a jury at the Old Bailey convicted Roman Lavrynovych, a 22 year old Ukrainian, of conspiracy to damage property by fire and two counts of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27 year old Ukrainian-born Romanian, of conspiracy. A third man, Petro Pochynok, was acquitted. On 19 June 2026 Lavrynovych was sentenced to seven years and Carpiuc to two years. As reported by BBC News, the trial judge described Lavrynovych as a useful idiot who had been easily bought.

The court heard that Lavrynovych had been recruited over Telegram by an anonymous account that promised payment. The Metropolitan Police said the handler communicated in Russian, in contrast to the Ukrainian otherwise used by the defendants. The account, referred to in the case as El Money, was never identified. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the attacks were intended to intimidate and undermine public confidence.

The convictions establish that the arson campaign was a coordinated conspiracy carried out by paid recruits rather than a spontaneous act. They also confirm that a Russian-speaking handler directed at least one attacker through an online account, a hallmark of the recruited-proxy model that Western agencies attribute to Russian intelligence across Europe. Even so, no court, prosecutor or police force has attributed the plot to the Russian state, the GRU or any named service, and the handler remains anonymous. The Russian dimension is therefore best read as recruitment by a Russian-speaking actor, not proven state direction. The Kremlin has denied involvement.