Russia-linked arson attacks show bad actors targeting UK, says Starmer

Prime minister says country needs to resist those who seek to ‘exploit division’ and ‘destabilise democracy’

The trial of two Russian-linked arsonists who targeted property connected to Keir Starmer shows that the UK is under attack from bad actors who want to “exploit division” and “destabilise our democracy”, the prime minister has said.

Roman Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, from Romania, were found guilty on Monday of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property linked to the prime minister, and appear to have operated under the instruction of an online handler with links to Russia.

Speaking at the G7 in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday, Starmer said the attack on the house had “clearly impacted and affected my family”.

Lavrynovych and Carpiuc will be sentenced on Friday. Their co-defendant, Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared. Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire, being reckless as to whether life was endangered, on 11 and 12 May last year.

The sentencing comes during a period of heightened tension between Russia and the UK. On Sunday a Russian shadow fleet vessel containing 98,000 tonnes of oil was intercepted by British troops in the Channel, and on Tuesday a Russian warship fired warning shots at a British-flagged yacht.

Starmer said the warning shots were “deeply concerning and reckless”, and said the UK was dealing with proxy attacks from Russia “every single day”.

Central to the arson case was a Russian-speaking Telegram contact using the pseudonym “El Money” who allegedly ordered the attacks and communicated in Russian with Lavrynovych as early as September 2024.