Wagner Group Hired UK Arsonists

From Petty Crime to Proxy War: How Wagner Recruited UK Arsonists

An audacious arson attack on an east London industrial estate has exposed a disturbing new front in Russia's hybrid war against the west. The plot, orchestrated by the notorious Wagner Group, saw a low-level narcotics seller from Leicestershire recruit a handful of London criminals to firebomb a warehouse sending vital aid to Ukraine. This case marks a watershed moment. It represents the first convictions under the UK’s new National Security Act and reveals a chilling strategy of using minor British proxies to conduct state-sponsored sabotage on UK soil. The events paint a stark picture of modern espionage, where encrypted apps replace dead drops and cash-hungry criminals are enlisted to achieve the strategic aims of a hostile state.

The Blaze in Leyton

On the evening of March 20, 2024, as midnight approached, flames engulfed two units on the Cromwell Industrial Estate in Leyton. The target was not random. Inside were businesses operated by a Ukrainian national, storing parcels and logistical equipment, including Starlink satellite systems, destined for Ukraine's front lines. These systems are critical to Ukraine’s military communication infrastructure, making their destruction a strategic objective for Russia. The resulting fire caused approximately £1 million in damages, a significant blow to the aid effort. The attack, initially investigated as a simple act of arson, soon attracted the attention of counter-terrorism police, who uncovered its sinister international connections.

The ‘Road Men’ for Hire

The men who carried out the attack were not ideologically motivated militants. Instead, they were small-time criminals, referred to in court as "road men," hired for cash. During the incident, Nii Mensah, then 23, and Jakeem Rose, also 23, travelled to Leyton in a conspicuous red Kia Picanto. While Ugnius Asmena, 20, waited in the vehicle, Mensah and Rose scaled a wall, doused the warehouse doors in petrol, and set them alight. Mensah brazenly filmed the act, live-streaming it via FaceTime to the plot's organisers. Their operation was far from sophisticated; a crucial mistake was made when Rose inadvertently left a large knife behind, which forensic analysis later linked directly to him via DNA evidence.

The Leicestershire Connection

The link between the south London arsonists and the Kremlin was a 20-year-old drug dealer from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, named Dylan Earl. Described as the operation's ringleader, Earl had been active on pro-Russian channels on the encrypted communication platform Telegram. His messages revealed a young man looking for a new beginning and inquiring about fighting on Russia's side in the Ukrainian conflict, despite admitting he knew very little Russian. Instead of being sent to the front line, his Wagner handlers identified a different use for him: a UK-based recruiter and coordinator for sabotage missions. Earl’s role was to bridge the gap between his Russian paymasters and local criminals prepared to commit offences for payment.

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The Handler: 'Privet Bot'

Earl's instructions came from a Wagner-affiliated Telegram account. It operated under the name 'Privet Bot', a Russian phrase which translates to 'Hello Bot'. This account is a known tool for the paramilitary organisation, used across Europe to encourage sabotage and violence. Investigators found thousands of messages exchanged between Earl and his contact, detailing a clear playbook for recruitment and operations. The handler first tasked Earl with conducting reconnaissance on the Leyton warehouse, which they claimed was aiding "Ukrainian terrorists," requiring visual documentation of the facility. This digital trail provided prosecutors with irrefutable evidence a hostile state was orchestrating crimes on British soil.

A Botched Job and Unhappy Paymasters

Although the warehouse fire caused extensive damage, Earl’s Wagner handler was displeased with the execution. A message from 'Privet Bot' criticised Earl for acting without final approval, stating the arson could have been more destructive and impactful if they had coordinated properly. The handler complained that the rushed job meant payment for the job could not be fulfilled, leading to fury and recriminations among the hired accomplices. In a bizarre twist, the handler urged Earl to show more patience and watch the Cold War spy series 'The Americans' as a training manual for his covert activities.

A New Target: The Mayfair Plot

Despite the friction over payment, the relationship was quickly patched up. Within days, 'Privet Bot' assigned Earl and his crew a new, more audacious mission. The targets were two high-end businesses in the Mayfair district of London: the Michelin-starred restaurant Hide and the acclaimed wine retailer Hedonism Wines. The proprietor of both is Evgeny Chichvarkin, a prominent Russian businessman and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin. Since Russia's full-scale military action in Ukraine, Chichvarkin had been active in providing assistance to that nation. The plot against him grew to include a possible abduction, with a suggested fee of £15,000 to "nap the guy" and have him extradited to Russia.

Expanding the Criminal Network

To execute the Mayfair plot, Earl began to widen his network, drawing in more of his criminal contacts. One such person was Ashton "Ace" Evans, a minor narcotics seller from the Pontywaun area of South Wales, near Newport. Earl instructed Evans on the need for a "clean" operation, specifying full masks, gloves, and removing the vehicle's license plates, and noting the target's proximity to Buckingham Palace. Evans expressed concern that an attack in such a high-profile location would attract significant attention from security services like MI5. Earl tried to reassure him by explaining the owner was a Russian billionaire, implying a high reward for the risk involved.

The Spectre of State Violence

The Telegram messages exchanged between Earl and his contact revealed a broader, more sinister objective beyond targeting Ukrainian supply lines and dissidents. 'Privet Bot' asked Earl if he had any contacts among football hooligans or individuals connected to the IRA. The handler's messages articulated a clear desire to generate broader instability, instructing Earl to establish clandestine units across Britain and the continent and to create a "movement" that Wagner would support and fund through further arson attacks. This chilling directive exposed a Russian goal of exploiting societal fractures and using organised crime to destabilise the UK from within.

A Hostile Operating Environment

The Wagner plot unfolded against a backdrop of heightened vigilance in the UK. Following the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack, British security services have worked to make the UK a challenging operational climate for foreign intelligence services. The head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command, Commander Dominic Murphy, stated that this success has forced Russia to diversify its tactics. Instead of deploying its own agents, it now uses proxies, recruiting younger individuals to function as their proxies. This case provides a stark illustration of that shift, with the Kremlin outsourcing its dirty work to local criminals.

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The National Security Act in Action

This case was the first major prosecution under the UK's National Security Act 2023. The Act, which came into force in December 2023, was designed to modernise espionage laws and provide new tools to combat threats from hostile states. It created new offences, including providing aid to an overseas intelligence organisation and receiving material benefits from one. The two main figures, Dylan Earl and his associate, Jake Reeves, became the first people convicted under this new legislation. Prosecutors highlighted that the Act allowed the severity of their offending—working for a hostile state—to be properly reflected in the charges.

The Investigation Unfolds

The Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command meticulously pieced the conspiracy together. Their investigation, codenamed Operation Mizzenmast, followed a trail of digital and physical evidence. The breakthrough came from connecting the Leyton fire to a similar arson attack on a warehouse in Madrid belonging to the same Ukrainian company. Detectives analysed thousands of incriminating Telegram messages from seized phones, which laid bare the entire plot. This digital evidence, combined with CCTV footage and the DNA found on the discarded knife, built an overwhelming case against the conspirators.

Closing the Net

The police operation culminated in a series of arrests. The main organiser, Dylan Earl, was taken into custody on April 10, 2024, when counter-terrorism police detained him in a hardware store's parking area in Hinckley. The mundane setting of his capture stood in stark contrast to his self-perception as a budding international spy. In his messages to 'Privet Bot', Earl had boasted he could become their most valuable operative, offering to run operations against individuals, businesses, and even the government. His arrest underscored the grim reality of Russia’s new proxy model: recruiting vulnerable and often deluded individuals to undertake hazardous assignments.

Justice at the Old Bailey

Inside the Old Bailey, London's main criminal court, the trial laid out the clear link between the defendants and the Kremlin. The gravity of the offences was underscored by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. She noted that previous generations would have simply labelled their conduct as nothing less than treason. Her comment highlighted the severity of betraying one's country by working for a hostile state, even if the motivation was financial rather than ideological.

The Verdicts Delivered

After a trial and jury deliberation that lasted almost a full day, the verdicts were delivered. Dylan Earl had admitted to organising serious violence for an overseas state under the National Security Act. His plea included the count of aggravated arson and drug offences. Jake Reeves, the Gatwick airport cleaner, pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and receiving payment from a foreign intelligence body. The jury found Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose, and Ugnius Asmena had committed aggravated arson. Ashton Evans was convicted for not reporting details of the Mayfair conspiracy.

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The Acquittals

Not all the accused were convicted. The jury cleared Paul English, the 61-year-old driver of the Kia Picanto, of all charges after he maintained he was paid to drive but had no knowledge of the arson plot. Another defendant, 23-year-old Dmirjus Paulauskas, was acquitted of two counts of not revealing what he knew about the terrorist plots. Paulauskas, who held joint British and Russian nationality, claimed that while he was friends with Reeves, he did not believe the plots were real. The acquittals demonstrate the jury's careful consideration of each individual's level of knowledge and intent in the complex conspiracy.

A Dissident’s Defiance

Evgeny Chichvarkin, whom the Mayfair scheme targeted, submitted a statement to the court. He described himself as a primary adversary of the Kremlin who received daily death threats for his vocal criticism of Putin and the conflict in Ukraine. The plot against his businesses, valued at over £30 million and employing 200 people, demonstrated the lengths to which the Kremlin will go to silence its opponents abroad. Despite the clear and present danger, Chichvarkin remains defiant, refusing to be intimidated by the threats against him and his livelihood.

Wagner's Evolving Threat

The case provides crucial insight into the paramilitary organisation's activities following the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in August 2023. Now believed to be under the tighter control of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency, Wagner has shifted from a quasi-independent mercenary army to a direct instrument of state policy. This evolution makes its use of foreign proxies for sabotage a more formalised part of Russia's hybrid warfare doctrine. The London plot is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of escalating Russian-backed sabotage operations across Europe.

The Digital Battlefield

The recruitment and coordination of the London plot relied heavily on the encrypted communication service Telegram. The platform provided a layer of anonymity that allowed the Russian handler, 'Privet Bot', to spot, groom, test, and task recruits like Dylan Earl from afar. This case highlights how social media and encrypted communication have become the new battleground for intelligence agencies, enabling them to reach across borders and turn disaffected individuals into foreign agents with alarming ease. It poses a significant challenge for security services trying to monitor and disrupt these covert networks.

A Warning for the West

The conviction of a British criminal gang acting for this paramilitary organisation serves as a stark warning. It demonstrates that the line between organised crime and national security has become dangerously blurred. Russia's strategy of hybrid warfare is not confined to disinformation campaigns or cyber-attacks but now includes kinetic attacks on UK soil, carried out by paid local criminals. The case underscores the urgent need for enhanced vigilance and robust legal frameworks, like the National Security Act, to counter a threat that is constantly evolving and prepared to exploit any vulnerability.