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 most recent malign activity on behalf of Moscow within the U.K.
Last yr’s blaze at an industrial estate in east London targeted two units including one for an organization which delivered packages to Ukraine including satellite equipment from Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny told London’s Old Bailey court firstly 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 primary person to be convicted under the National Security Act, introduced last yr to tackle hostile activity by foreign states.
Penny said Earl was “knowingly acting on the behest of the Wagner Group,” banned as a terrorist organization, and “knew he was acting against Ukrainian, and for Russian interests.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the globe, enroll for breaking news alerts delivered on to you after they occur.
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 identical charge.
Dmitrijus Paulauskas, 23, and Ashton Evans, 20, denied two counts of knowing about terrorist acts but failing to reveal the knowledge. Evans was convicted of 1 charge and cleared of a second, while Paulauskas was acquitted of each charges.