Britain Suspected Russia Of Organizing The Arson Attack On The Prime Minister's House

• 24.05.2025, 14:56

The three attackers may have colluded with Russian intelligence.

The UK security service is investigating Moscow's involvement in the organization of arson attacks on properties associated with the head of the British government Keir Starmer, which took place in early May. The Financial Times (FT) reports, citing senior officials of the kingdom's government.

Two Ukrainians, Roman Lavrynovych and Petro Pochinok, as well as Romanian citizen Stanislav Karpyuk, were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson with the intent to endanger lives. British police said the defendants had colluded with "other unknown persons". One version of investigators said they could have been recruiters from Russian intelligence.

The three suspects have so far been charged with criminal offenses rather than national security offenses, the FT noted. According to a government official, "various versions of events" are still being investigated and at this stage "nothing has been ruled out".

Even if London establishes Russian involvement in the arsons, it would not necessarily mean that they were "commissioned" by Russian authorities or that the suspects knew of the Kremlin's involvement. Earlier, prosecutor Sara Przybylska noted that the motives of the detainees have not yet been clarified.

Whitehall is also discussing London's possible reaction if the theory of Russian involvement in the crimes is confirmed, interlocutors said.

The trial of the defendants is scheduled for June 6. None of the suspects is seen to be ideologically close to Russia, the FT specifies, and one of them published celebratory photos of Ukrainian soldiers.