Two men convicted of arson attacks on UK PM Keir Starmer-linked properties in 2025
Consensus Summary
Two men, Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc, were convicted in June 2026 for conspiring to set fires in May 2025 on properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, including his former home, a managed property, and his old SUV. The attacks were orchestrated by a Russian-speaking figure using the pseudonym 'El Money' on Telegram, who promised Lavrynovych 3,000 pounds in cryptocurrency. Lavrynovych, who claimed he acted under threat and lacked knowledge of Starmer’s connection to the properties, received a 7-year sentence, while Carpiuc got 2 years. A third man, Petro Pochynok, was acquitted. Police found no direct evidence linking the attacks to a hostile state, though El Money’s fluency in Russian and Ukrainian raised suspicions. The fires caused no injuries but terrified occupants, including Starmer’s sister-in-law and her young daughter. While the ABC focused on Lavrynovych’s financial desperation and lack of political motive, the Guardian highlighted his role as a 'useful idiot' manipulated by an unknown mastermind, possibly tied to broader Russian sabotage efforts in Europe.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Roman Lavrynovych, 22, a Ukrainian national, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, a Romanian citizen, were convicted of conspiring to damage property by fire linked to British PM Keir Starmer at the Old Bailey on June 15, 2026.
- The fires occurred in May 2025: a Toyota SUV (May 8), a property Starmer previously managed (May 11), and his former home in Kentish Town (May 12).
- A Russian-speaking figure using the pseudonym 'El Money' orchestrated the plot via Telegram, offering Lavrynovych 3,000 pounds ($5,700) in cryptocurrency for the attacks.
- Petro Pochynok, 35, a Ukrainian man, was acquitted of the conspiracy charge.
- Lavrynovych was also convicted of two counts of arson with intent to endanger life or recklessly endangering life.
- The fires damaged Starmer’s former home (where his sister-in-law and her 9-year-old daughter were living), a property he once owned a share of, and his former Toyota SUV.
- Lavrynovych received a 7-year prison sentence, while Carpiuc received 2 years.
- El Money instructed Lavrynovych to set fires to properties and record them for news coverage, but Lavrynovych never received payment.
- Lavrynovych claimed he acted under threat from El Money and had no knowledge of the properties' connection to Starmer until after the fires.
- The Metropolitan Police found no evidence linking the attacks to a hostile state, though El Money spoke fluent Russian and Ukrainian.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Lavrynovych admitted to other vandalism, including painting car windshields black and posting anti-Islam posters in Muslim areas of London.
- El Money instructed Lavrynovych to mix flammable substances and avoid detection, and promised payment via a secret code word 'geranium' if Lavrynovych was arrested.
- The court heard occupants of the apartment building retreated to the roof due to smoke-filled hallways, and Starmer’s sister-in-law struggled to breathe as smoke filled a stairway.
- The judge described Lavrynovych as a 'useful idiot' who acted without question on El Money’s instructions, putting lives at risk.
- Lavrynovych’s lawyer emphasized his 'utterly naive' and 'gullible' nature, noting his family’s shame in Ukraine due to his actions.
- Carpiuc’s lawyer stated he acted as a 'money man' to help a friend desperate for funds for medical treatment.
- The Guardian referenced broader European intelligence reports on Russian sabotage campaigns, including arrests in Lithuania, France, and Estonia.
- A Financial Times investigation linked El Money to a pro-Kremlin hacktivist group called NoName057(16).
- Lavrynovych initially refused a job to print anti-Islam ads but later checked for CCTV at two addresses for £1,500.
- Lavrynovych described El Money’s instructions to set the car ablaze for news coverage, saying he asked why it mattered but received no response.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian suggests El Money may have been linked to a Russian hacktivist group (NoName057(16)), but the ABC notes no evidence proved a hostile state orchestrated the fires.
- The ABC states Lavrynovych claimed he had no idea who owned the property until after the fires, while the Guardian’s judge rejected this claim, stating Lavrynovych should have realized the properties were residential.
Source Articles
Two men convicted of plot to torch property linked to British PM Keir Starmer
A Russian-speaking figure who went by the name "El Money" offered one of the men money to torch the properties and take video that could be posted online to draw attention to the attack.
Two men jailed for arson attacks on property linked to Keir Starmer
Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc imprisoned for seven years and two years respectively Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc have been jailed at the Old Bailey for seven and two years respectively for arson attacks on property connected to Keir Starmer. Lavrynovych, 22, from Ukraine, and Carpiuc, 27, from Romania were found guilty on Monday of conspiring to commit arson on a car and two properties linked to the prime minister. Continue reading...
The Russian-speaking mastermind at heart of Starmer-linked arson trial
Two men have been convicted of attacks linked to ‘El Money’ – a Telegram contact who the court heard wanted to see results of their crimes ‘on the news’ Judith Alexander was awake in bed on her phone when about 1am she heard two very loud bangs. It sounded to the prime minister’s sister-in-law like two wheelie bins had been thrown at the door. But when she looked out of a window, she saw smoke and an orange glow. “We could see the smoke was getting thicker and going upstairs,” said Alexander, in