UK judge sentences 5 men for roles in Russia-linked arson attack in London

London: A British judge on Friday sentenced five men for their roles in an arson attack in London that authorities say was masterminded by Russian intelligence as part of a wider campaign of sabotage and disruption.

The sentences ranged from seven to 17 years in prison.

The men were involved in a plot to set fire to a warehouse in east London in March 2024 that contained satellite communication devices destined for Ukraine.

British prosecutors said that the arson — organised on behalf of the Wagner paramilitary group — was intimately connected to the Russian state and likely linked to another arson attack against a warehouse in Spain.

Another man was sentenced for not disclosing information about a plot to burn a London restaurant.

The fire is one of at least 25 arson or explosives plots across Europe linked to Russia by Western officials that The Associated Press has documented since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

“This offence was part of a series of European-wide sabotage operations,” prosecutor Duncan Penny said.

The actions of Dylan Earl — the British man who arranged the arson — constituted a “sustained campaign of terrorism and sabotage on UK soil, carried out in support of a foreign power — the Russian Federation — and its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Penny said.

The sentences were the first imposed by a British court for violating the National Security Act, which was introduced in 2023 to address threats from foreign states including espionage and sabotage.