Russia was behind arson attacks targeting PM, BBC reveals
Fires targeting properties linked to Sir Keir Starmer were part of a Russian campaign, the BBC has found.
Even after he set fire to Sir Keir Starmer’s house, Roman Lavrynovych – convicted on Monday of conspiring to commit arson – seemed to know as much about the prime minister as a bullet knows about its target.
His anonymous handler, known by the initials EL, gave a clue in a message: “Look, you attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I’ll send you money, you need to leave the city.”
It was too late: Lavrynovych was arrested within hours.
The 22-year-old Ukrainian builder had been weaponised to target the UK’s head of government. But by who?
The BBC investigation found the arson attack was just one part of an extensive campaign of sabotage, provocation and lies leading all the way to the Russian state.
The handler EL, who directed Lavrynovych, offered Russian citizenship in return for other attacks and glorified President Vladimir Putin, messages uncovered by the BBC show.
The broadcaster said it identified evidence suggesting EL is a young Russian diplomat, schooled in information warfare by spies and propagandists, who is close to the highest levels of power in Moscow. His name is Evgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old and son of a senior official.
The BBC reported that Russian operatives ran their sabotage and provocation campaign remotely through social media and Telegram, creating fake online far-right and Muslim groups used to organise acts of vandalism in the UK and stir up division and fear.
According to the report, accounts based in Russia posted false claims about the motive for the arson attacks targeting Starmer, which were later spread by figures including far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
The Russian embassy rejected the allegations, saying: “We reject any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities.”
It added that Russia poses “no threat to the United Kingdom or its people and harbours no aggressive intentions towards Britain”.
Lavrynovych and Ukrainian-born Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc have been convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiring to target property and a car connected to the UK prime minister. A third man, Petro Pochynok, was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit arson.
The first fire occurred when a Toyota previously owned by Starmer was set ablaze in north London. Two further attacks targeted the entrance to flats where he previously lived and the entrance to his house, which had been rented to his sister-in-law after he moved into Downing Street.
The BBC said the case presented in court focused largely on financial motives, while the identity, connections and motives of the anonymous handler remained largely unexplored during proceedings.
Its investigation linked EL to wider online activities promoting Russian narratives, glorifying Putin, recruiting individuals for vandalism and arson, and operating fake organisations designed to inflame tensions between communities in the UK.
The report also connected EL to a fake far-right group known as Direct Action UK and a bogus Islamic organisation called the Takbir Foundation, both allegedly used to provoke division, organise acts of vandalism and amplify social tensions.
The BBC said the campaign reflected a broader pattern of Russian-backed sabotage operations across Europe, in which proxies are recruited through social media and offered money to carry out criminal acts aimed at destabilising societies and undermining trust.
Credit: BBC
