Five Jailed Over Wagner-Directed Arson in Leyton

Five men were jailed at the Old Bailey for a March 2024 arson attack on industrial units in Leyton, east London, that were being used to supply humanitarian aid and Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine, causing roughly £1 million in damage. Prosecutors and the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command said the attack was directed by Russia’s Wagner Group after ringleader Dylan Earl made contact with Wagner operatives on Telegram. Earl was sentenced to a custodial term of 17 years (some outlets reported 23 years in total, with 17 to be served in prison), and co-defendant Jake Reeves received 12 years. Evidence at trial included CCTV, forensic links and messages showing Earl recruited Reeves, who then recruited others, and the judge described the plot as a “planned campaign of terrorism and sabotage” on UK soil. Investigators uncovered discussions of further attacks and kidnapping plots targeting Mayfair businesses and wealthy dissidents, and authorities warned the case highlights Wagner’s use of social media to enlist operatives abroad and the growing threat of foreign-directed sabotage in the UK.