Russian mercenary group 'ordered arson attack on UK warehouse'

Arsonists set fire to a London warehouse linked to Ukraine after one of the men who orchestrated the attack was recruited by a Russian mercenary group, a court has heard.

Around £1m of damage was caused by the blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton that was supplying StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine, the Old Bailey was told. The attack on 20 March last year was orchestrated by 20-year-old Dylan Earl - who was recruited by the Wagner Group - and Jake Reeves, 23, jurors heard.

Reeves, of Croydon, has pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023. Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, has pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and preparatory conduct under the National Security Act 2023.

The court was told the pair had gone on to plot more arson attacks on a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair and the kidnap of their multi-millionaire owner, who was a Russian dissident. Six men have gone on trial in the case - which is the first concerning allegations under the UK's new counter-espionage laws.

Two units in the Cromwell Industrial Estate were set on fire - and it took eight fire engines and 60 firefighters to put out the blaze, the court heard. The arsonists livestreamed as they set fire to the business, jurors were told.

The six men on trial are charged with a range of offences including aggravated arson and failure to disclose information about terrorist acts. They have all pleaded not guilty.

Duncan Penny KC, prosecuting, told the jury that Earl was "knowingly acting at the behest of the Wagner Group" - a private military contractor linked to Russia which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in September 2023 - and "commissioned the arson attack on the warehouses". Explaining how Earl was recruited, the prosecutor said he contacted the Wagner Group "when he joined a broadcast channel in its name on the social media application Telegram".

"From there, he became connected to two handles, 'Privet Bot' aka 'Lucky Strike', who acted on behalf of the Wagner Group," Mr Penny told the court. "It appears that Earl expressed a willingness to undertake 'missions' of which the Leyton arson attack was the first.

It is apparent that Earl knew he was acting against Ukrainian, and for Russian, interests." Read more from Sky News:Drone attack puts Russians and the world on noticeWould Putin go nuclear after Ukraine's daring attacks? Mr Penny told the court that the warehouse units in Cromwell Industrial Estate appeared to have been selected as targets over their connection to Kyiv. Specifically, the jury heard that the business conducted there was concerned with logistics, frequently delivering goods to Ukraine, including StarLink satellite equipment.

"The businesses which operated from there were also involved in organising humanitarian aid efforts to support Ukraine," the prosecutor added. Mr Penny said an expert witness will tell the court that after an aborted coup against the Russian government in June 2023, the Wagner Group and its activities - which include sabotage - have been under the direct command of the Russian government.

Defendants Ashton Evans, 20, from Newport, Gwent, and Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 22, from Croydon, deny failure to disclose information about terrorist acts. Fellow defendants Paul English, 61, of Roehampton, Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, of Thornton Heath, and Jakeem Barrington Rose, 23, of Croydon, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, of no fixed address, all deny aggravated arson.

The trial continues..