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Six Britons working on behalf of the Wagner mercenary group linked to Russia have been handed jail terms for setting fire to a located in London storage unit that was holding relief supplies destined for Ukraine.

Sentencing and Roles

Sentencing the men, the judge at the central criminal court remarked that they had planned a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” in the interests of the Russian government.

Dylan Earl was given a 17-year jail term with an extra six-year period on supervised release due to his “leading role”. Another defendant, Jake Reeves, a resident of Croydon, South London, was sentenced to twelve years in jail with an additional year on extended licence. Their admitted crimes resulted in them being the first individuals to be convicted under the National Security Act 2023.

Jakeem Rose, aged 23, also from Croydon, was jailed for eight years and 10 months. Nii Mensah, a Thornton Heath, South London local, was given nine years and Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was without a fixed address, was given seven years. The trio were each convicted of serious fire-setting and received a additional year on supervised release by the judge.

Ashton Evans individual involved in drug trafficking from Newport in Gwent, was jailed for nine years imprisonment plus a further year on supervised release after being convicted of failing to disclose details regarding terrorist acts relating to a separate scheme in the Mayfair area.

Details of the Attack

The arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton, east London put 60 firefighters at risk and caused £1m in damage in March last year.

The proceedings revealed that Earl, 21 and the 24-year-old Reeves did not leave their bedrooms while organising the attack for the Wagner mercenary organization, acting on behalf of the Russian government.

The individuals involved selected the storage facility because it was being utilized for providing emergency relief and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.

When the same Ukrainian company was hit by an intentional fire ten days afterward in Madrid, investigators from the Metropolitan Police's anti-terror unit assumed control of the probe.

Proof and Additional Schemes

When Earl was taken into custody, law enforcement examination of his mobile phone revealed he had videos of the warehouse fire being initiated and was in contact with the Wagner organization on Telegram, via an account with the usernames ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.

Some of the communications showed that reconnaissance for additional operations, involving arson attacks at a dining establishment and wine shop in Mayfair owned by the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already been carried out. The use of explosives to damage buildings was also deliberated.

Detectives discovered that the defendant Earl was also raising the possibility of kidnapping Chichvarkin and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison”.

The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire had discussed another potential attack in the Czech Republic.

In a residence inspection, police found a Russian flag, over twenty thousand pounds in currency and cocaine with a street value of about £34,000.

Motivations and Judicial Remarks

The court heard he was a participant in numerous pro-Russian propaganda channels and was motivated by “simple and ugly greed”.

“This legal matter concerns the efforts of the Russian Federation to gain pernicious global influence using online platforms to enlist saboteurs far from the Russian capital.”

She found the fire incident had a “link to terrorism” irrespective of if the individuals responsible knew it. The Wagner organization is banned by the British authorities as a terrorist organisation.