Ukrainian man convicted in arson attacks on properties linked to UK Prime Minister Starmer; Russian-speaking handler remains unidentified

Lavrynovych was recruited online and given detailed instructions by "El Money," including the locations of the targeted properties and how to mix flammable liquids purchased from a hardware store. He told the court he was offered payment for the fires and threatened if he did not comply. His lawyer, James Scobie, described him as a "vulnerable, ignorant" puppet operated by what he called, without naming Russia, a serious actor targeting Starmer over his support for Ukraine.

Jurors heard extensive evidence about how Lavrynovych carried out the attacks but almost nothing about who ordered them. The judge, Justice Neil Garnham, described El Money as "the central figure in the case but a man or group about whom we know very little," and directed jurors not to speculate about him. Prosecutors did not bring charges under Britain's National Security Act, passed in 2023 to address state threats, so no evidence of a wider conspiracy was presented at trial.

The gap between police evidence and intelligence assessments was a recurring theme in coverage. Helen Flanagan, current head of counterterrorism police, said there is "no evidence to suggest that this was a state-backed threat and target on the prime minister" — specifying she was referring to evidence gathered by police, not classified intelligence. Retired Commander Dominic Murphy, who oversaw the initial investigation before leaving in March, said El Money spoke Russian and is "likely to be in Russia," and that El Money's methods were "very similar" to those used by Russian intelligence services operating in the United Kingdom.