Russia-backed arson attack ringleaders handed hefty jail sentences in UK

Prosecutors said the 2 young defendants planned a ‘sustained run of coercion and sabotage’ backed by Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries.

A British justice has handed lengthy jailhouse sentences to the 2 young ringleaders of a radical who carried retired arson attacks successful the United Kingdom connected behalf of the Russian state-funded backstage subject firm, the Wagner Group.

Prosecutors said connected Friday that Dylan Earl, 21, and Jake Reeves, 24, planned “a sustained run of coercion and sabotage connected UK soil” with the backing of Russia’s notorious Wagner mercenary group, which has been accused of warfare crimes successful zones of struggle astir the world, including murder, torture and rape.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Britain arrests trio of suspected Russian saboteurs
• list 2 of 3The US and Russia’s proxy warfare is bleeding Africa
• list 3 of 3UK constabulary apprehension 3 men connected suspicion of spying for Russia

Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb handed Earl a 17-year situation sentence, with a further six years connected extended licence, for his “leading role” successful readying respective attacks, including 1 successful March past twelvemonth successful which a London warehouse storing humanitarian aid and Starlink outer instrumentality destined for Ukraine was acceptable connected fire.

During the trial, prosecutors said the 21-year-old had discussed with his Wagner handler plans to kidnap the cofounder of concern app Revolut and to torch a warehouse successful the Czech Republic.

A constabulary hunt of Earl’s telephone uncovered videos of the eastbound London warehouse occurrence being started, portion helium was besides recovered to beryllium successful interaction with Wagner members connected the messaging app Telegram.

17 years successful prison.

CCTV, telephone information and forensic grounds helped convict Dylan Earl, 1 of 5 men progressive successful a Russian-ordered arson onslaught connected a warehouse successful Leyton.

The blaze caused astir £1 cardinal of damage, including to assistance bound for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/m96hNx6fO2

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) October 24, 2025

Fellow suspect Reeves, 24, was handed 12 years successful prison, with an further twelvemonth connected extended licence, for his relation successful recruiting different men to instrumentality portion successful the Wagner-backed attacks.

The brace are the archetypal radical to beryllium convicted nether the UK’s caller National Security Act, introduced successful 2023 to readapt anti-espionage authorities to antagonistic modern-day threats from overseas powers.

Russian-backed ‘hostile agents’

Earl and Reeves “acted willingly arsenic hostile agents connected behalf of the Russian state”, Dominic Murphy, the caput of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said successful a statement.

“This lawsuit is simply a wide illustration of an organisation linked to the Russian authorities utilizing ‘proxies’ – successful this lawsuit British men – to transportation retired precise superior transgression enactment successful this state connected their behalf,” Murphy said.

“In caller years, we person seen a important summation successful the fig of counter-state-threat investigations and the usage of ‘proxies’ is simply a caller maneuver favoured by hostile states specified arsenic Russia,” helium added.

In July, three different British men were recovered blameworthy of aggravated arson for their relation successful the warehouse onslaught successful eastbound London, which caused 1 cardinal pounds ($1.3m) successful harm and enactment dozens of firefighters’ lives astatine risk.

Nii Mensah, 23, was sentenced to 9 years successful prison; Jakeem Rose, 23, was jailed for 8 years and 10 months; portion Ugnius Asmena, 21, was handed 7 years.

Ashton Evans, 20, was besides jailed for 9 years for failing to disclose accusation astir violent acts relating to different arson crippled targeting 2 cardinal London businesses owned by a Russian dissident.

British authorities allege that Russia is conducting an progressively bold espionage and sabotage run successful the UK, with the caput of the MI5 information service, Ken McCallum, saying Moscow is “committed to causing havoc and destruction”.

In a abstracted lawsuit this week, the Metropolitan Police arrested 3 men from westbound and cardinal London, besides suspected of spying for Russia.

The details of their alleged crimes person not been made public, but they person besides been charged nether the 2023 National Security Act “on suspicion of assisting a overseas quality service”.