Men jailed over arson attack for Russia on Ukrainian business in London

Six men have been jailed for their parts in a Russian-ordered arson attack on a London warehouse providing aid to Ukraine.

The fire at industrial units in Leyton, east London, on 20 March 2024, caused £1.3m in damage.

Ringleader Dylan Earl was recruited by the Wagner Group, a mercenary organisation that acts on behalf of the Russian state and is proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist organisation.

Before his arrest, he was also plotting to kidnap a wealth Russian dissident.

Dylan Earl, 21, admitted a National Security Act offence over the attack, as well as aggravated arson.

The other five men sentenced were:

• Jake Reeves, 24, from Croydon, who help arrange the attack, was jailed for 12 years

• Nii Mensah, 23, from Thorton Heath, who streamed the attack, was jailed for 10 years

• Jakeem Rose, 23, from Croydon, who set the buildings alight, was jailed for nine years

• Ugnius Asmena, 21, of no fixed address, who arranged the getaway car and was there on the night, was jailed for eight years

• Ashton Evans, 20, from South Wales, was jailed for nine years failing to tell police what he knew about a planned kidnapping.

Earl was recruited by a Wagner operative on Telegram where he told his handler he was keen to carry out a series of “mission”, of which Leyton would be the first, the court previously heard.

He then brought in other men to carry out the arson attack.

The Ukrainian-owned warehouse they targeted had been used to send goods to Ukraine, including Starlink satellite terminals, and it required eight fire crews with 60 firefighters to get the blaze under control.

Earl was supposed to receive £9,000 for his role but was paid less because he carried out the plan early without his handler’s sign-off.

Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told the Old Bailey the defendants were “paid to promote interests of a foreign power”.