Wagner Group-Linked Arsonists Convicted for Blazing Attack on London Ukraine Aid Warehouse

A group of men acting on orders from Russia’s notorious Wagner Group have been convicted for a dramatic arson attack that devastated an east London warehouse used to support Ukraine — the first such case involving Britons working for the banned Russian terrorist organization.

The Old Bailey heard that the fire, which erupted at the Leyton industrial site in March 2024, caused approximately £1 million in damages and required the efforts of eight fire crews to bring under control.

Prosecutors described how Nii Mensah and Jakeem Rose, both 23, livestreamed themselves as they set the building ablaze, while accomplice Ugnius Asmena, 20, waited outside in a car.

Following the trial, Mensah, Rose, and Asmena were found guilty of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life. The plot was orchestrated by 20-year-old Dylan Earl and Gatwick airport cleaner Jake Reeves, 23, who specifically targeted the warehouse for its role in supplying humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.

Jurors learned that Earl and Reeves went on to hatch further schemes—planning attacks on a Mayfair restaurant and wine shop, and even the kidnapping of prominent Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin—although those attempts ultimately failed.

Both men had already admitted to aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group, becoming the first to be convicted under the UK’s new National Security Act.

Phone records, CCTV footage, and forensic evidence left little doubt about the arsonists’ involvement. Cameras tracked their journey across London, and Mensah and Rose were caught on tape as they scaled a wall to reach the warehouse.

Rose left behind a large knife bearing his DNA, while Mensah later boasted about the attack in text messages: “Bro lol it’s on the news … we dun damagees (sic).”

Earl had told his Wagner Group handler, known online as “Privet Bot,” that the Leyton fire was just the beginning of a series of missions he hoped to carry out. He and Reeves were reportedly willing to accept payments from foreign intelligence to target Chichvarkin and his London-based businesses.

During police searches, authorities uncovered a Russian flag, over £20,000 in cash, and cocaine valued at £34,000 at Earl’s home. Video evidence of the warehouse arson was also found on the suspects’ phones.

In total, six men stood trial. Paul English, 61, was acquitted, while Ashton Evans, 20, and Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, were cleared of most charges relating to the wider plot.

UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis hailed the convictions as a warning to Russia and its proxies: “Those acting on Russia’s behalf will be met by the full force of the law.”

Sentencing for the convicted defendants is set for the autumn.