UK judge sentences 5 men for roles in Russia-linked arson attack in London

LONDON AP A British judge on Friday sentenced five men for their roles in an arson attack in London that functionaries say was masterminded by Russian intelligence as part of a wider campaign of sabotage and disruption The sentences ranged from seven to years in prison The men were involved in a plot to set fire to a warehouse in east London in March that contained satellite communication devices destined for Ukraine British prosecutors announced that the arson organized on behalf of the Wagner paramilitary group was intimately connected to the Russian state and likely linked to another arson attack against a warehouse in Spain Another man was sentenced for not disclosing information about a plot to burn a London restaurant The fire is one of at least arson or explosives plots across Europe linked to Russia by Western officers that The Associated Press has documented since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb This offense was part of a series of European-wide sabotage operations prosecutor Duncan Penny revealed The actions of Dylan Earl the British man who arranged the arson constituted a sustained campaign of terrorism and sabotage on U K soil carried out in sponsorship of a foreign power the Russian Federation and its war of aggression against Ukraine Penny stated The sentences were the first imposed by a British court for violating the National Measure Act which was introduced in to address threats from foreign states including espionage and sabotage Source