Intelligence officials across Europe are issuing alerts, suggesting a heightened Russian sabotage effort is advancing.
The investigation into a series of arson attacks linked to Russia across Europe, particularly the London warehouse fire case, has made significant progress. Here's an update on the current status:
**Background**
The London warehouse fire, which occurred on March 20, 2024, in Leyton, east London, was part of a broader campaign of sabotage attributed to Russian intelligence and its proxies, including the Wagner Group. This private military organization has been acting on behalf of the Russian state. Since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 70 incidents linked to Russia have been documented, including multiple cases of arson and sabotage across Europe, with specific incidents in the UK and Spain.
**The London Warehouse Fire Case**
The London warehouse stored equipment destined for Ukraine, including generators and StarLink satellite equipment crucial for Ukraine's military operations. The Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command led the investigation after initial local inquiries. Evidence included extensive communication data from the phone of one of the suspects, Dylan Earl, which revealed contacts with the Wagner Group via Telegram.
Five men have been convicted in connection with the attack. Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves pleaded guilty to aggravated arson. Three others—Jakeem Rose, Ugnius Asmena, and Nii Mensah—were found guilty by a jury. A fourth man, Paul English, was acquitted. The investigation also uncovered plans for additional arson attacks in Mayfair, London. Some defendants were aware of these plans but were not convicted for all related charges.
**Ongoing Concerns**
Officials are concerned about the escalating risk of serious injury or death due to untrained saboteurs engaging in such activities. The number of incidents has increased, with a significant rise in recent years. The convicted men are awaiting sentencing at the Old Bailey.
The case highlights the ongoing campaign of disruption attributed to Russian intelligence and its proxies across Europe, with concerns about the potential for further attacks. Most of the saboteurs accused of working on behalf of Russia are foreign, including Ukrainians, and are frequently hired for a few thousand dollars. The fire at the London warehouse destroyed around half of its contents, which included StarLink devices used by Ukraine's military for Internet by satellite. A truck driver in London attempted to extinguish the fire but realized it was too big.
Recruiting for sabotage activities has increased since hundreds of Moscow's spies were expelled from Western countries following an operation to poison a former Russian intelligence officer in the UK in 2018. The recruiter for the London warehouse arson plot communicated with the recruit predominantly in Russian, with the recruit using Google to translate. The Russian recruiter admitted to rushing into burning the warehouses without his approval and claimed it would be impossible to pay for the arson.
- The investigation into the middle of a series of arson attacks linked to Russia, particularly the London warehouse fire case, has made significant progress, revealing extensive communication data from a suspect's phone that showed contacts with the Wagner Group.
- The London warehouse, which stored equipment destined for Ukraine, was part of a broader campaign of sabotage in the east, attributed to Russian intelligence and its proxies, including the Wagner Group.
- The general-news update on the current status of the London warehouse fire case includes the conviction of five men, with Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves pleading guilty to aggravated arson, and the ongoing concerns about the potential for further attacks across Europe.
- The case has highlighted the escalating risk of serious injury or death due to untrained saboteurs engaging in such activities, with concerns about the potential for further war-and-conflicts disruptions attributed to Russian intelligence and its proxies.
- The recruiter for the London warehouse arson plot communicated with the recruit predominantly in Russian, with the recruit using Google to translate, indicating a broader trend of crime-and-justice activities being carried out across the world in the name of Russian interests.
