Wagner Group Linked to UK Arson Attacks as Two Men Receive Lengthy prison Sentences
London, UK – October 24, 2025 - Two men have been sentenced to notable prison terms after being convicted under the UK’s National Security Act for their roles in a series of arson attacks linked to the Russian Wagner mercenary group. The convictions mark the first time the 2023 legislation, designed to counter modern espionage threats, has been successfully used.
Dylan Earl, 29, received a 17-year sentence, while Reeves, 24, was handed 12 years plus an additional year on extended license, for recruiting others to participate in the Wagner-backed attacks. The Metropolitan Police announced the sentences today, detailing how CCTV footage, phone data, and forensic evidence were crucial in securing the convictions.
The attacks included a fire at a warehouse in Leyton, east London, which caused approximately £1 million ($1.3m) in damage, including to aid intended for Ukraine. Police investigations revealed Earl possessed videos of the warehouse fire being started and had been in contact with members of the Wagner Group via the Telegram messaging app. Authorities also uncovered plans to kidnap the cofounder of finance app Revolut and to torch a warehouse in the Czech Republic.
“Earl and Reeves acted willingly as unfriendly agents on behalf of the russian state,” stated Dominic Murphy, the head of counter Terrorism Policing London. “This case is a clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using ‘proxies’ - in this case British men – to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf.”
The convictions follow the July sentencing of three other British men for their involvement in the Leyton warehouse attack: Nii Mensah (9 years), Jakeem Rose (8 years and 10 months), and Ugnius Asmena (7 years). Ashton Evans, 20, was also sentenced to nine years for failing to disclose information about a separate arson plot targeting businesses owned by a Russian dissident in central London.
British authorities have reported a growing trend of espionage and sabotage attempts linked to Russia. ken McCallum,head of the MI5 security service,has stated that Moscow is “committed to causing havoc and destruction.”
This week, the Metropolitan Police also arrested three men in west and central London on suspicion of spying for Russia, charging them under the 2023 National Security Act. Details of their alleged crimes remain undisclosed.
The cases highlight a shift in tactics by hostile states like Russia, increasingly relying on “proxies” to carry out operations within the UK, according to Murphy. The use of the National Security Act signals a strengthened effort by British authorities to counter these evolving threats.
