Two Ukrainian men have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges over a series of arson attacks on properties and a vehicle connected to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, and Petro Pochynok, 35, appeared at the Old Bailey in London via video-link from Belmarsh prison on Friday to face allegations relating to three separate fires in north London during May.
The Ukrainian nationals, along with Romanian co-defendant Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, are accused of orchestrating attacks on properties linked to Sir Keir before and shortly after he became prime minister.
Three Separate Incidents Target PM-Linked Properties
The most serious incident occurred in the early hours of 12 May at a house in Kentish Town, north London, where Sir Keir lived before moving into Downing Street following Labour’s election victory.
Four days earlier, on 8 May, a Toyota RAV4 that the prime minister had previously owned and sold was set ablaze in the same street.
A third fire took place on 11 May at the front door of a converted flat building in Islington, also linked to Sir Keir.
The timing of the attacks, spanning from before Sir Keir officially entered Number 10 to just after he assumed the role of prime minister, has raised serious questions about security and potential threats to senior political figures.
Defendants Face Serious Charges
Lavrynovych, from Lewisham in southeast London, and Pochynok, from Islington in north London, both denied conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life between 1 April and 13 May.
The charge alleges the defendants, “together with others,” conspired to damage property by fire “belonging to another and intending to endanger the life of another or being reckless as to the life of another would thereby be endangered.”
The wording suggests prosecutors believe additional suspects may be involved in the alleged conspiracy beyond the three men currently facing charges.
Carpiuc, who resides in Romford, east London, was not asked to enter a plea to the same charge during Friday’s hearing.
Trial Set for Spring 2026
Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded all three defendants in custody ahead of the next hearing scheduled for 28 November.
A trial date has been set for 27 April next year, when the case is expected to be heard in full at the Old Bailey.
The defendants will remain at Belmarsh prison, one of Britain’s highest-security facilities in southeast London, which typically houses individuals charged with the most serious offences including terrorism and threats to national security.
Security Concerns for Senior Politicians
The case has heightened concerns about the safety of senior political figures and their families at a time of increasing polarisation in British politics.
Sir Keir, who served as Labour leader in opposition before becoming prime minister following the general election, would have been living at the Kentish Town property with his family when some of the alleged reconnaissance or planning for the attacks may have taken place.
The fact that multiple properties connected to the prime minister were targeted over a short period suggests a coordinated campaign, according to the prosecution’s charges.
Intelligence and security services are likely examining whether the suspects had any connections to foreign actors or extremist groups, though no such allegations have been made public at this stage.
International Dimension Raises Questions
The involvement of Ukrainian and Romanian nationals in the alleged plot has added an international dimension to the case, though no motive has yet been disclosed by prosecutors.
Ukraine remains Britain’s close ally in its ongoing conflict with Russia, with the UK providing substantial military and financial support to Kyiv since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The Romanian suspect’s involvement alongside two Ukrainians suggests the alleged conspiracy may have crossed multiple borders.
Authorities have not revealed how the three men came to be in the United Kingdom or the nature of their immigration status, details that may emerge during the trial.
Metropolitan Police Investigation
The Metropolitan Police launched a major investigation following the fires, which would have required significant resources given the sensitivity of attacks targeting the prime minister’s properties.
Detectives from specialist units dealing with threats to prominent individuals would have worked alongside arson investigators and counter-terrorism experts to piece together the alleged conspiracy.
The swift arrest of the three suspects suggests police had strong evidence linking them to the incidents, though the full details of that evidence will be presented at trial.
Security at properties connected to senior politicians is typically managed by specialist protection officers, raising questions about how the alleged attacks were able to take place.
The prosecution will need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the three defendants conspired together to commit the fires with the specific intent to endanger life, or with reckless disregard for whether lives would be endangered.
All three men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty at trial.
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Image Credit:
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives Press Statement — photo by UK Government / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under CC BY 3.0
