Ukrainian Lavrynovych, Accused in Starmer Property Arson on May 11-12, 2025, Denies Knowing Him

Ukrainian citizen Roman Lavrynovych, accused of conspiring to commit arson on property linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, told police he did not know who Starmer was. This was reported by the BBC, citing information from «European Pravda».

Roman Lavrynovych and Petro Pochynok, both Ukrainian citizens, along with Stanislav Karpiuk, a Romanian citizen of Ukrainian origin, are accused of attacks on real estate and a car associated with the British Prime Minister. All three deny the charges.

During police questioning, Lavrynovych was repeatedly asked if he knew Keir Starmer and if he held any grudge against him. He answered negatively to these questions. The detective also inquired if the suspect knew who currently leads the British government, to which Lavrynovych also replied «no». However, he confirmed that he had heard of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Lavrynovych denies his involvement in the arsons, claiming he was at home and with friends at the time of the incidents. He faces additional charges of property damage due to arson committed with reckless disregard for human life. In late April, the three suspects appeared before a London court. According to the prosecution, the men acted with financial assistance from an individual using the pseudonym «El Money», who communicated with them in Russian.

The case concerns several fires that occurred in North London on May 11-12, 2025. On May 11, an apartment building where Keir Starmer once lived was set on fire, and on May 12, another fire occurred at the entrance to a house where he resided before becoming prime minister. Media reported that Roman Lavrynovych might have been recruited by Russian special services via the Telegram app.