Three men were found guilty on Tuesday over an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in London which British officials said was ordered by Russia’s Wagner mercenary group and was the latest malign activity on behalf of Moscow in the U.K.
Last year’s blaze at an industrial estate in east London targeted two units including one for a company which delivered packages to Ukraine including satellite equipment from Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny told London’s Old Bailey court at the start of the trial last month that the arson was organized by Dylan Earl, 21, who had pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and a charge under the National Security Act.
Earl’s guilty plea to preparing conduct for acts which endangered life made him the first person to be convicted under the National Security Act, introduced last year to tackle hostile activity by foreign states.
Penny said Earl was “knowingly acting at the behest of the Wagner Group,” banned as a terrorist organization, and “knew he was acting against Ukrainian, and for Russian interests.”
Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, Jakeem Rose, 23, and Ugnius Asmena, 20, denied a charge of aggravated arson but were convicted by a jury at London’s Old Bailey court. Paul English, 61, was cleared of the same charge.
Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, and Ashton Evans, 20, denied two counts of knowing about terrorist acts but failing to disclose the information. Evans was convicted of one charge and cleared of a second, while Paulauskas was acquitted of both charges.