Two more men charged over 'Wagner Group' arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in east London

3 August 2024, 12:16 | Updated: 3 August 2024, 12:18

Two men have appeared in court charged with an arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses in London on behalf of

Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, are accused of national security offences, becoming part of the first case of allegations under the new spy laws, police said.

Barrington Rose and Asmena join five other defendants charged in connection with the fire in east London on March 20.

Some 60 firefighters were needed to bring it under control.

Co-defendant Dylan Earl, 20, is accused of orchestrating arson attacks on behalf of the Wagner Group, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Rose, of Croydon, south London, and Asmena, of Wandsworth, south London, are both accused of aggravated arson.

Asmena was born in Lithuania, the court was told on Saturday, and has previously unsuccessfully applied for EU Settled status.

Rose has been further charged with possession of a knife in a public place and possession of a knife in a private place. Neither man was asked to enter any pleas during the short hearing.

Read more: British man recruited as 'Russian spy' charged with masterminding arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses in London

Read more: Russia could be fuelling far-right riots after Southport killings, ex-MI6 boss warns

It is alleged Earl was in contact with a handler in the Wagner Group before carrying out reconnaissance of targets "in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia".

It is claimed that Earl recruited and paid others to carry out the arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses owned by Oddisey and Meest UK.

The Wagner Group, whose former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last summer, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.

Mr Prigozhin and his troops, who have fought for Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, had staged a short-lived coup against the authorities in Moscow in June last year.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "While these are very serious allegations, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them in connection with this matter.

"This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought I would urge everyone to respect the criminal justice process and not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case."

Rose and Asmena's co-defendants face a plea hearing on October 4 and a provisional trial of eight weeks from June 2 2025.

Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, is charged with aggravated arson, preparatory conduct to an act endangering life or a person or an act creating a serious risk to the health and safety of the public in the United Kingdom contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act 2023, and assisting a foreign intelligence service contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

Dmitrijus Paulauska, 22, from Croydon, who is on conditional bail, is accused of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.

Jake Reeves, 22, from Croydon, is accused of aggravated arson and accepting cash knowing it was from a foreign intelligence service.

Nii Mensah, 21, of Thornton Heath, south London, is charged with aggravated arson.

What is Wagner?

Yevgeny Prigozhin - a wealthy businessman and convicted criminal - said he founded Wagner in 2014.

It was registered as a "private military company" in 2022, as mercenary forces are technically illegal in Russia.

Most Wagner mercenaries initially came from Russia's special forces and other elite units, and in its early days the group was thought to number about 5,000.

However, in 2022, Prigozhin recruited prisoners from Russian jails to fight in Ukraine, in exchange for pardons. In June, he said the group had 25,000 fighters.

The group also operated in Syria, Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya.

Wagner troops were heavily involved in the battle for Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, which they captured for Russia in May 2023.

In June 2023, some 5,000 Wagner fighters staged a mutiny. They occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and marched on Moscow.

Prigozhin halted the advance after making a deal with Russian President Putin, which was brokered by the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Prigozhin was confirmed dead in a plane crash in August 2023.