BBC report says Russia orchestrated arson plot against UK prime minister's home

A London court on Monday convicted Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych of setting fire to properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May 2025, in an attack he carried out on behalf of an anonymous handler. The BBC said its investigation concluded that Russia was behind the operation, and that sources said British investigators had reached the same view.

According to the report, Lavrynovych, 22, was used to target Starmer, with the handler identified only as "EL" sending him a message saying, "Look, you attacked the home of a very senior person in the UK. I will send you money, you need to leave the city." Lavrynovych was arrested within hours. The BBC said the arson was part of a wider campaign of sabotage, provocation and disinformation linked back to Russia.

Police were called in May last year to several fire scenes in North London. One was the house where Starmer lived until July 2024, before moving to 10 Downing Street. Another was a property owned by a company in which he had served as a director and held shares, and a Toyota car he previously owned was also set alight. No one was physically injured.

The report said Russian operatives coordinated the campaign remotely through social media and Telegram, creating fake far-right and Muslim online groups that were used to organize vandalism in Britain and stir fear and division. British police arrested and charged three suspects: Lavrynovych, 27-year-old Romanian-Ukrainian Stanislav Karpiuk, and 35-year-old Ukrainian Petro Pocynok. On Monday, the court convicted Lavrynovych on two arson counts and Karpiuk on conspiracy to commit arson, while Pocynok was acquitted. Sentencing for the two convicted men is set for Friday. Russia’s embassy told the BBC it rejected any attempt to link Russia or its foreign ministry to illegal activity and said Russia posed no threat to Britain or its citizens.