- Category
- Latest news
UK Court Finds Wagner-Linked Arsonists Guilty in Attack on Ukraine Support Businesses
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
A UK court found three men guilty of setting fire to businesses in London connected to Ukraine — an attack authorities say was ordered by Russia’s Wagner Group .
According to Reuters on July 8, British officials condemned the incident as another act of Russia’s criminal operations on UK soil. The fire, which broke out last year at an industrial site in London, targeted two locations, including a company involved in shipping parcels to Ukraine. Among the items sent was Starlink satellite equipment, provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Prosecutors revealed that the attack was orchestrated by 21-year-old Dylan Earl, who has pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and violating the UK’s National Security Act. Earl is now the first person convicted under the new legislation, introduced last year to counter hostile acts by foreign states.
According to prosecutor Duncan Penny, Earl knowingly acted on the instructions of the Wagner Group and understood that his actions were intended to harm Ukraine and support Russia.
Three other men—23-year-olds Nii Kodjo Mensah and Jahkeem Rose, and 20-year-old Ugnius Asmena—were also found guilty of aggravated arson after denying the charges. Meanwhile, 61-year-old Paul English was acquitted.
Two additional suspects—Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, and Ashton Evans, 20—were accused of failing to report knowledge of a terrorist act. Evans was found guilty on one count and acquitted on another. Paulauskas was fully acquitted.
Earlier, a confidential legal report submitted to the International Criminal Court accuses the Russia-linked Wagner Group of committing torture, mutilation, extrajudicial killings, and even acts of cannibalism during operations in Mali, Burkina Faso, and other West African nations.
