Six men have been jailed for their roles in a Russia‑directed arson attack on an east London warehouse supplying aid to Ukraine, in a case that produced the first convictions under the National Security Act 2023. Ringleader Dylan Earl, 21, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, and associate Jake Reeves, 24, of Croydon, both admitted offences under the Act.
Earl was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment plus a six‑year extended licence. Reeves received 12 years’ imprisonment with a further one‑year extended licence. Four additional defendants were also jailed, each receiving a further year on extended licence.
Prosecutors told the court that Earl had been recruited over Telegram by an operative linked to the Wagner Group, which the UK government has proscribed as a terrorist organisation. Messages showed Earl volunteering for a sequence of “missions”, with the Leyton attack to be the first.
The fire, set on 20 March 2024 at industrial units in Leyton, caused an estimated £1.3m of damage. The Ukrainian‑owned warehouse had been used to dispatch supplies to Ukraine, including Starlink satellite terminals, and it took eight fire crews-60 firefighters in total-to bring the blaze under control.
Reeves assisted Earl in recruiting the arson team, the court heard. Earl expected a £9,000 payment but received less after he acted without sign‑off from his handler. He was arrested in a B&Q car park in Leicestershire, where officers later recovered videos of the fire being started from his phone.
Mrs Justice Cheema‑Grubb described the offending as a “planned campaign of terrorism and sabotage” undertaken in the interests of the Russian state. After the warehouse attack, the group discussed further arson at a Mayfair restaurant and wine shop and the kidnapping of their owner, the exiled businessman Evgeny Chichvarkin.
According to the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Policing, Earl operated as an agent of a foreign state to sow unrest and commit crime in the UK. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the sentences send a clear message that the UK will not tolerate hostile activity by foreign states.
The case sits within a wider update to the UK’s state‑threats framework. The National Security Act 2023 replaced outdated espionage provisions and introduced new offences, including sabotage and assisting a foreign intelligence service, while the Wagner Group has been proscribed since 2023 under the Terrorism Act 2000.
For public bodies, charities and companies supporting Ukraine logistics or other sensitive supply chains, the operational takeaway is direct. Organisations should plan for hostile‑state tasking via social or encrypted channels, ensure staff know how to escalate suspicious approaches, and maintain liaison with Counter Terrorism Policing and the National Protective Security Authority.
The extended licence terms mean the most serious offenders will remain under supervision after release and can be recalled for any breach. Officials have warned that state‑backed online tasking is now a persistent risk, underscoring the importance of early reporting and evidence preservation by affected organisations.