UK man with ties to the Wagner Group charged with ‘Russia-backed arson plot’ on Ukraine-linked targets in London
- Court documents allege suspect Dylan Earl was connected to the proscribed terrorist group the Wagner Group, the domestic Press Association news agency reported
- He is accused of organising and paying for an arson attack on an industrial estate in East London, on March 20, which needed 60 firefighters to bring under control
A 20-year-old British man has been charged with masterminding an arson plot against a Ukrainian-linked target in London for the benefit of the Russian state, prosecutors said on Friday.
“Included in the alleged activity was involvement in the planning of an arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked commercial property in March 2024,” the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement.
Court documents allege that suspect Dylan Earl, from Leicestershire in central England, was connected to the proscribed terrorist group the Wagner Group, the domestic Press Association news agency reported.
He is accused of organising and paying for an arson attack on two units on an industrial estate in Leyton, East London, on March 20, which required 60 firefighters to bring under control.
The alleged target is referred to as “Mr X” in the charges.
The CPS, which brings prosecutions in England and Wales, said two other men – Paul English, 60, and Nii Mensah, 21 – had also been charged with aggravated arson in connection with the case.
A third, Jake Reeves, 22, had been charged with agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service as well as aggravated arson.
