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Six Men Jailed in London for Wagner-Linked Arson Attack on Ukraine Aid Warehouse
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A British court has sentenced six men for carrying out a Wagner Group–ordered arson attack on a warehouse in East London that supplied humanitarian aid and Starlink equipment to Ukraine, Sky News reported on October 24.
Dylan Earl, 21, who orchestrated the March 2024 attack under the direction of the Russian mercenary group, was sentenced to 23 years—17 in prison and six on extended license.
His accomplice, Jake Reeves, 24, was sentenced to 12 years. Four others—Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose, Ugnius Asmena, and Ashton Evans—received sentences of between eight and ten years for aggravated arson and related offenses, Sky News wrote.
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Judge Cheema-Grubb described the plot as a “planned campaign of terrorism and sabotage” in the interests of the Russian state, noting that Wagner operatives had recruited the men through social media.
The fire caused around $1.3 million in damage and required 60 firefighters to bring it under control.
Earl and Reeves became the first individuals convicted under the UK’s 2023 National Security Act, which criminalizes collaboration with foreign intelligence services.
The group also planned additional arson attacks targeting a restaurant and wine shop in London’s Mayfair district and reportedly discussed abducting the owner, Russian dissident in exile and businessman Evgeny Chichvarkin, according to Sky News.
“The Russian Federation sought to gain pernicious global influence using social media to enlist saboteurs vast distances from Moscow,” the judge said, warning that similar attempts may continue across Europe.
Previously, Counter Terrorism Policing arrested three people in Essex as part of an investigation under the National Security Act, led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command. The allegations relate to Russian involvement.
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