Three men have been convicted of aggravated arson following a blaze at a London warehouse linked to Ukraine, causing damages estimated at around one million pounds. The warehouse, located in Leyton, was reportedly supplying StarLink satellite equipment, frequently used by the Ukrainian forces in their conflict with Russia. The verdict was announced at the Old Bailey, where it was revealed that Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose, and Ugnius Asmena were found guilty by the jury.

The court heard that the arson attack occurred on the twentieth of March last year as part of a broader plot orchestrated by Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves, both of whom are connected to the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organisation. The Met Police stated that messenger logs revealed that Earl had enlisted Reeves and Mensah in planning the arson, ultimately leading to the involvement of Rose and Asmena.

Evidence presented in court included a video livestreamed by Mensah, capturing the act of setting fire to the warehouse, as well as DNA evidence linking Rose to a knife found at the scene. Commander Dominic Murphy of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command highlighted the serious implications of the case, describing it as an example of foreign influence through local proxies to conduct criminal activities.

The Russian embassy has denied any involvement in the fire, rejecting the accusations as unfounded. The convicted men are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, marking a significant moment in the enforcement of the UK’s new counter-espionage laws, aimed at tackling terrorism and foreign interference.