Two men jailed for arson attacks targeting properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Two men have received prison sentences following a series of coordinated arson attacks targeting assets and properties connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian national, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit arson and damaging properties by fire with reckless endangerment to human life. His co-defendant, 27-year-old Stanislav Carpiuc of Romania, received a two-year prison sentence. A third individual, 35-year-old Petro Pochynok, was acquitted of the charges.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the men were recruited via the encrypted messaging app Telegram by an anonymous, Russian-speaking operative using the moniker "El Money." The coordinator offered financial compensation to orchestrate the fires, record video footage of the acts, and attempt to secure television broadcast coverage of the destruction.
The targeted campaign began on May 8, 2025, when a Toyota RAV4 previously owned by Starmer was set ablaze. A second fire was lit on May 11 at the entrance of a London property formerly managed by the Prime Minister. The following day, May 12, a third fire targeted Starmer's former residence in Kentish Town, which was occupied by his sister-in-law and her family at the time.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Lavrynovych maintained that he was unaware of Starmer’s identity or political status, claiming he was simply seeking additional income and did not realize the targeted buildings were occupied.
During the televised sentencing, Justice Neil Garnham focused his remarks largely on Lavrynovych, admonishing him for participating in a mindless act of violence purely for financial gain. The judge noted that the residential nature of the neighborhood was obvious, stating that Lavrynovych acted with utter recklessness regarding the safety of the inhabitants. While acknowledging that neither defendant masterminded the plot, Justice Garnham described Lavrynovych as an easily manipulated pawn used to advance an unknown foreign agenda, ultimately putting sleeping residents at extreme risk.
Defense counsel portrayed Lavrynovych as exceptionally naive, gullible, and an unthinking foot soldier who fell victim to external infiltration.
Counter-terrorism officials praised the rapid response of the investigative teams, while noting a worrying, recurring trend of anonymous online accounts manipulating individuals into committing violent local crimes in exchange for digital payments.
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