London, Six men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a Russia arson attack on a warehouse in east London that provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The warehouse, located in Leyton, was targeted in March 2024 in what UK authorities described as an operation orchestrated by agents working on behalf of the Russian state. The blaze caused an estimated £1.3 million in damages and required eight fire crews with more than 60 firefighters to bring it under control. Investigators later confirmed the attack was ordered by members of the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization outlawed in the UK as a terrorist group. The ringleader, 21-year-old Dylan Earl from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, was recruited through the encrypted messaging platform Telegram. He communicated with a Wagner operative, expressing willingness to conduct missions in the UK. Earl received a 17-year prison sentence, with an additional six years on extended licence.
Six Men Jailed Over Russia Arson Attack on London Aid Warehouse
London,His associate, 24-year-old Jake Reeves from Croydon, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and one year on extended licence. Reeves helped Earl recruit others to carry out the arson and both men became the first individuals in the UK to be convicted under the National Security Act 2023. Four additional men were also sentenced for their roles in the Russia arson attack. Nii Mensah, 23, from Thornton Heath, was jailed for nine years after live-streaming the incident. Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, received nine years for failing to alert police about an associated kidnapping plot. Jakeem Rose, 23, from Croydon, who physically started the fire, was sentenced to eight years and ten months. Ugnius Asmena, 21, of no fixed address, was jailed for seven years for arranging transport and assisting during the attack. Each of the four received an extra year on extended licence. The targeted warehouse was owned by a Ukrainian business that had been sending essential supplies, including Starlink satellite systems, to support Ukraine’s defense efforts. Earl was reportedly promised £9,000 for his participation but received less after executing the plan prematurely without approval from his handler.
Following the fire, Earl began plotting additional attacks in central London, including plans to set fire to a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair and to kidnap Russian dissident businessman Evgeny Chichvarkin. However, before these plans could be carried out, police arrested Earl in a Leicestershire car park, where video evidence of the warehouse fire was recovered from his phone. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described the events as a calculated campaign of terrorism and sabotage conducted in the interests of the Russian state. Counter Terrorism Commander Dominic Murphy said Earl acted as an agent of a foreign power, emphasizing that Russia continues to pose a serious threat to UK national security. Security Minister Dan Jarvis added that the case sends a strong message to those working for hostile states, warning that such activities will be met with firm justice in Britain.
