Russia was behind arson attacks targeting PM, BBC reveals
BBC News 2026-06-15 13:10:58
Context: The event took place in the United Kingdom, specifically in London, where arson attacks were carried out targeting properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The investigation revealed that a Russian campaign was behind these attacks, which were part of a larger pattern of sabotage and provocation.
Key Facts
- A 22-year-old Ukrainian builder, Roman Lavrynovych, was recruited by a Russian handler, Evgeny Lyukshin, to carry out arson attacks on properties linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and was offered Russian citizenship and money for the attacks.
- Lyukshin, a 23-year-old Russian diplomat, was schooled in information warfare by spies and propagandists and is close to the highest levels of power in Moscow, and he used social media and the messaging app Telegram to run a sabotage and provocation campaign.
- The arson attacks, which included setting a Toyota owned by the prime minister ablaze in north London, were part of a larger campaign that also involved creating fake online far-right and Muslim groups to stir up division and fear in the UK.
- Lyukshin, the son of a senior Russian official, was trained in information warfare at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a diplomatic academy controlled by the foreign ministry, and had access to Nato and CIA documents.
- The Russian embassy denied any involvement, stating that Russia poses "no threat to the United Kingdom or its people and harbours no aggressive intentions towards Britain".