A 23-year-old Russian diplomat, Evgeny Lyukshin, directed a series of arson attacks targeting properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a BBC investigation has revealed. Lyukshin, the son of a senior Kremlin official, used the messaging app Telegram to recruit and instruct the men who set fire to a car once owned by Starmer and two houses, including one occupied by the PM's sister-in-law and her family.
On Monday, Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were convicted at the Old Bailey of conspiring to commit arson. A third man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was found not guilty. The jury deliberated for seven-and-a-half hours before returning the verdicts.
“BBC reveals Russian diplomat Evgeny Lyukshin orchestrated arson attacks on Keir Starmer's properties; two men convicted.”
The attacks began last May when a Toyota Rav4, previously owned by Starmer, was set ablaze in Kentish Town, north London. Days later, two houses were set on fire — one a north London home still owned by the PM, where his sister-in-law lived with her family. The fires, set in the middle of the night while people slept, posed a serious threat to life and left householders terrified, the court heard.
Prosecutors said the men were directed by a Russian-speaking taskmaster. The BBC identified the handler as Lyukshin, who used the alias 'EL Money' and offered Russian citizenship in return for further attacks. Messages uncovered by the BBC show EL glorified President Vladimir Putin and instructed Lavrynovych after the arson: "You attacked the home of a very high-ranking person in Britain. I'll send you money, you need to leave the city." Lavrynovych was arrested within hours.
Russian operatives ran the sabotage campaign remotely, creating fake online far-right and Muslim groups to organise vandalism and stir division, the BBC found. One such group, called Direct Action, generated real-life attacks in London when six mosques and an Islamic school were vandalised with racist graffiti. The morning after one vandalism, EL posted a job ad for Ukrainians in London, asking for photos of the damage to circulate online.
The Russian embassy rejected the findings, saying: "We reject any attempt to associate Russia or its foreign ministry with unlawful activities." It added that Russia poses "no threat to the United Kingdom or its people." Lyukshin did not respond to questions, but hours after the BBC contacted him, a propaganda channel he was challenged on disappeared.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed it is investigating the mosque vandalisms as anti-Muslim hate crimes, but no arrests have been made so far.