Two Men Found Guilty in Arson Attacks Targeting U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer

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Two men were convicted on Monday of conspiring to carry out arson attacks targeting properties and a car linked to Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain after one of them was recruited by a Russian-language Telegram account.

The fires at two houses and a vehicle, all of which Mr. Starmer had owned or used, happened over a five-day period in May 2025.

One of the men, Roman Lavrynovych, 22, admitted to taking orders from a Russian-language Telegram account that operated under a Ukrainian name that translates to “EL Money.” Mr. Lavrynovych was convicted on two counts of committing arson while being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

The other man, Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, who was born in Ukraine but holds Romanian nationality, was found guilty for his role in the attacks. A third man, Petro Pochynok, 35, who is a Ukrainian citizen, was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit arson.

Mr. Lavrynovych said at the trial, which took place at the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, that he did not know who Mr. Starmer was at the time of the arson attacks. A Ukrainian who worked in construction and as a mover, Mr. Lavrynovych said that he had just “wanted some additional money” when an anonymous account approached him through a social media group for Ukrainians seeking work in London in late 2024.

ImageAn image from the Metropolitan Police showed a burning car in one of the arson attacks targeting Mr. Starmer.Credit...Metropolitan Police, via Reuters

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