Men jailed over Russia-backed arson attack on UK warehouse

Two men who organised an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London on behalf of Russia have been jailed for a total of 29 years, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The case marks the first prosecution under the UK’s National Security Act 2023, which targets individuals acting for foreign powers. Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves were found to have recruited a group of men to carry out the arson attack in Leyton in March 2024, causing around £1 million in damage.

Counter Terrorism Policing London said Earl, 21, had made contact with the Russian Wagner Group in 2023 before planning the attack with Reeves.

They then recruited Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose and Ugnius Asmena to set fire to the warehouse, which stored supplies destined for Ukraine. The group also conducted surveillance of businesses in Mayfair ahead of potential further attacks.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the case was “a clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using proxies, in this case British men, to carry out serious criminal activity on their behalf.” He added that the ringleaders “acted willingly as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state” and that the long sentences should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to assist a foreign government.

Detectives found that Earl had communicated with Wagner-linked accounts on Telegram using the aliases “Privet Bot” and “Lucky Strike.” Analysis of his phone revealed more than 56 gigabytes of data, including over 57,000 images and 3,600 videos, some of which required translation from Russian.

Following his arrest in April 2024, officers uncovered evidence that Earl and his co-conspirators had planned further attacks. The arson in Leyton was livestreamed via FaceTime to Earl and Reeves, according to police.

At the Old Bailey on 24 October, the six men received prison sentences ranging from seven to 23 years. Earl was sentenced to a total of 23 years, including 17 in custody, while Reeves received 13 years. Others involved, Mensah, Rose, Asmena and Evans, were jailed for terms between seven and nine years.

Commander Murphy said the case showed a growing trend in hostile state activity using criminal proxies within the UK and warned that counter-state investigations are increasing significantly.