Three men found guilty of arson attack for Wagner Group

6 minutes agoAdina CampbellUK correspondent@adinacampbell

BBC

Three men have been found guilty of an arson attack on a London warehouse linked to Ukraine on behalf of Russian mercenary group Wagner.

Jakeem Rose, 23, Ugnius Asmena, 20, Nii Mensah, 23, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of being recruited to set fire to the industrial unit which sent aid and internet satellite equipment.

The attack was orchestrated by Dylan Earl, 20, and Jake Reeves, 23, who had already admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group – which the UK government says is a proscribed terrorist group.

Around £1 million-worth of damage was caused in the arson attack on the warehouse in in Leyton, east London, on 20 March last year, the trial at the Old Bailey heard.

A fourth man, Paul English, 61, was found not guilty of being recruited to set fire to the warehouse and obtaining money from a foreign intelligence service.

Mensah and Rose were captured on CCTV and the livestreamed video as they set the warehouse on fire before they made off.

Eight fire engines were called to the Cromwell Industrial Estate after it broke out shortly before midnight on 20 March 2024.

On the night of the attack, the jury heard a lorry driver parked nearby had bravely but unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire.

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