Arson attacks on UK PM's property linked to Russian sabotage network, probe finds

A Russian-based online sabotage network was behind a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to an investigation by the Financial Times.

The report follows the conviction of Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian construction worker living in London, who was found guilty on June 15 of carrying out the attacks after a six-week trial at London's Old Bailey criminal court.

The arson attacks targeted Starmer's family home and other properties connected to the prime minister. Last year, Starmer described the incidents as "an attack on democracy."

During the trial, prosecutors disclosed that Lavrynovych had been directed by an individual using the Telegram alias "El Money," who communicated in Russian and Ukrainian. However, authorities did not publicly identify the handler.

According to the Financial Times investigation, which drew on Telegram archives, cryptocurrency transactions, court evidence and interviews with Western officials, El Money was based in Russia and maintained close links to NoName057(16), a pro-Kremlin cyber group that U.S. authorities have described as a Russian "state-sanctioned project."

The investigation found that the same handler allegedly recruited individuals in Britain to carry out other operations, including painting anti-Islamic graffiti on mosques and other locations across London. The findings suggest a broader effort by Russia-based actors to exploit social divisions and fuel tensions in the United Kingdom.

The precise relationship between NoName057(16) and the Russian government remains unclear. However, U.S. cybersecurity authorities have previously stated that the group and its associated hacking tools were developed as part of a covert project linked to a Kremlin-established information technology organization.

According to the report, El Money first contacted Lavrynovych in late 2024 through Telegram channels where the Ukrainian national had repeatedly advertised for temporary work opportunities in London. Messages reviewed by the Financial Times showed he posted more than 100 job requests between August 2024 and May 2025.

Court evidence indicated that in the early hours of May 8, Lavrynovych traveled by bus to the Kentish Town area of north London, where he allegedly set fire to a Toyota RAV4 previously owned by Starmer. The vehicle had been publicly identified in British media reports following a traffic accident involving the future prime minister in 2020.

A second attack took place shortly after midnight on May 12, when a fire was started at Starmer's family home in Kentish Town. At the time, the property was occupied by the prime minister's sister-in-law. Starmer had moved into Downing Street after winning the general election the previous year.

By Sabina Mammadli