Two found guilty in London plot to burn homes linked to Prime Minister Starmer; mystery 'Russian' figure named

Two men have been convicted in a London court for their involvement in a conspiracy to set fire to properties connected to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The plot, which occurred in May 2025, saw a house Starmer vacated upon becoming prime minister, a residential building he co-owned, and his former car damaged by arson. The fires, set in the dead of night, woke residents, including Starmer's daughter-in-law.

The alleged mastermind, described as a Russian speaker and referred to as 'El Mani,' is accused of offering money via Telegram to Ukrainian national Roman Lavrinovich to carry out the arson and film it for online release. Lavrinovich, 22, and Romanian national Stanislav Karpiuk, 27, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson and causing damage to property. Karpiuk acted as an intermediary, while a third individual recruited to film the fires was acquitted.

While police confirmed there was no evidence of state involvement, the head of London's counter-terrorism unit, Helen Flanagan, stated that the motive was clearly to "humiliate and intimidate the prime minister and to attack the United Kingdom." However, the identity and specific motives of 'El Mani' remain undiscovered.

Lavrinovich claimed he was threatened by 'El Mani' and promised £3,000 in cryptocurrency for the arson, which he intended to use for his father's medical treatment, though he never received the payment. He stated he was unaware of the property ownership or Starmer's identity at the time. 'El Mani' reportedly provided detailed instructions on which buildings to target, how to mix accelerants, and how to evade capture. Phone messages revealed Lavrinovich discussed other financially motivated acts, including vandalizing car windshields and posting anti-Islamic posters.

Following the fires, 'El Mani' allegedly promised Lavrinovich further payment and instructed him to send a "secret message with the code 'geranium'" if arrested. Lavrinovich was apprehended shortly after receiving this coded message. Sentencing for Lavrinovich and Karpiuk is scheduled for Friday.

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It is clear that the task was to humiliate and intimidate the prime minister and to attack the United Kingdom.