Ukrainian Man Sentenced for Starmer-Linked Arson Attacks

Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian man, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for carrying out arson attacks on properties connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian national, received a two-year sentence for his role in the conspiracy. The attacks were directed by an anonymous Russian-speaking handler known as 'EL Money' and occurred over five days in May last year.

The fires targeted a Toyota Rav4 once owned by Starmer on May 8, another at the front door of a property in London that Starmer had managed previously on May 11, and a third at Starmer's former home in Kentish Town where his sister-in-law resided on May 12. Lavrynovych was convicted of two counts of committing arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

According to court evidence, EL Money communicated with Lavrynovych through Telegram, offering payment for setting the fires and recording them. Over 320 messages between EL Money and Lavrynovych were recovered by police, dating back to September 2024. Prosecutors did not identify who or what entity was behind the account.

During sentencing at London's Old Bailey Court, Mr Justice Neil Garnham directed most of his remarks at Lavrynovych. 'You agreed to carry out this mindless piece of arson for money. You were not a man of great principle and you were easily bought,' he said. The judge rejected Lavrynovych's claim that he had not known the houses he set on fire were occupied, stating that it was clear these premises were residential.

Garnham described Lavrynovych as 'utterly reckless about the risk you were creating' and a 'useful idiot' who acted without question on the instructions of EL Money. He noted that Lavrynovych was essentially acting as a pawn for some unknown cause, putting lives at risk.

In mitigation, Lavrynovych's lawyer James Scobie KC described him as 'utterly naive, utterly gullible, unthinking' and a 'complete and utter footsoldier'. He highlighted the shame felt by Lavrynovych’s family in Ukraine for his actions. Carpiuc’s barrister, Shahid Rashid, said his client had always been 'the money man', motivated by helping a friend out who needed money desperately for his father's medical treatment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the attacks as part of a broader effort by bad actors to destabilize UK democracy. He emphasized that the UK faces daily proxy attacks from Russia and highlighted recent incidents such as the interception of a Russian shadow fleet vessel and warning shots fired by a Russian warship at a British-flagged yacht.

Investigations by the BBC and Financial Times have linked EL Money to NoName057(16), a pro-Kremlin hacktivist group that the US has identified as a Russian 'state-sanctioned project'. Some security sources suggested that far-right figures in the UK may have amplified false narratives about the attacks, potentially acting as de-facto agents for Russia.