Three men with links to Ukraine and Romania have appeared in a London court facing charges for a series of arson attacks on property connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The defendants, Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35, both from Ukraine, and Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, a Romanian national, are accused of setting fire to two homes and a car in May of last year.
Prosecutors told the court that the attacks were masterminded by a Russian-speaking contact using the pseudonym El Money. This mystery figure allegedly promised to pay the three men to carry out the arson attacks targeting the Prime Minister's property.
During the opening of the trial by Duncan Atkinson KC, the defendants denied plotting the attacks. The men sat with their heads bent towards interpreters as the prosecution detailed the alleged scheme.