Key facts
- Arson attacks targeting properties linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were part of a Russian campaign.
- The campaign was allegedly directed by Evgeny Lyukshin, a young Russian diplomat identified by the BBC.
- Operatives used social media and Telegram to recruit individuals and organize acts of vandalism and disinformation.
- A fake far-right group called Direct Action UK was created by Russian operatives to sow division and incite violence.
- Six mosques and an Islamic school were vandalized in London following calls from Direct Action.
A BBC investigation has revealed that arson attacks targeting properties linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer were part of an extensive Russian campaign of sabotage, provocation, and disinformation.
The investigation found that Roman Lavrynovych, a 22-year-old Ukrainian builder, was recruited by an anonymous handler known as 'EL' to carry out these attacks. Messages uncovered by the BBC suggest 'EL' is Evgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old Russian diplomat schooled in information warfare, who offered Russian citizenship and money in return for acts of vandalism and glorified President Vladimir Putin.
Russian operatives allegedly ran the campaign remotely through social media and Telegram, creating fake online groups, including a purported far-right group called Direct Action UK. These groups were used to organize acts of vandalism in the UK, stir up division, and spread lies about the motives for the attacks. Six mosques and an Islamic school in London were vandalized after Direct Action offered payment for Islamophobic graffiti.
Hope Not Hate, an anti-racist organization, had previously reported concerns about Direct Action to counter-terror police, concluding that Russians were behind the group and warning of potential terror attacks. The Russian embassy has rejected any association with unlawful activities and stated that Russia poses no threat to the UK.
Lavrynovych was arrested within hours of the arson attack on Starmer's house. While the trial of three men focused on a financial motive, the BBC's investigation delved into the wider context of Russian state involvement and the use of online platforms to incite division and fear.