Three Men Found Guilty of Arson Attack on Ukraine-Linked Warehouse in London

Three men have been found guilty of an arson attack on a London warehouse linked to Ukraine on behalf of the terrorist Wagner Group. Around £1m of damage was caused by the blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, that was supplying StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine, a court heard.

Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, Jakeem Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, denied a charge of aggravated arson but were convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey. The attack on 20 March last year was orchestrated by 20-year-old Dylan Earl - who was recruited by the Wagner Group - and Jake Reeves, 23, the trial previously heard.

Reeves, of Croydon, pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023. Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and preparatory conduct under the National Security Act 2023.

It was alleged they recruited a group of men to carry out the attack as part of a series of planned missions for the terrorist group. The court was previously told the pair had gone on to plot more arson attacks on a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair and the kidnap of their multi-millionaire owner, who was a Russian dissident.

The case is the first concerning allegations under the UK's new counter-espionage laws. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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