Two British individuals accused of aiding Russian intelligence

Two British men, Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves, have been charged with helping Russian intelligence services after a suspected arson attack on a Ukraine-linked business in London. The investigation, led by Met Police counter-terror officers, started after a fire at a warehouse in east London in March.

Mr. Earl, 20, from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire, is accused of planning to target the business, recruiting individuals to assist a foreign intelligence service, fraudulent activity, and arson. Mr. Reeves, 22, from Croydon, is accused of accepting money from a foreign intelligence service.

The charges are related to a fire that broke out on an industrial estate in Leyton in March, which was started using an accelerant like petrol. The businesses targeted were parcel delivery services owned by Mykhaylo Prykhodko and his wife Jelena Boikova, who live in London.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has summoned the Russian ambassador following the allegations. The UK remains deeply concerned about Russian-orchestrated malign activity on its soil and will work with allies to defend against such threats.

Mr. Earl and Mr. Reeves are the first to be charged under a new law designed to update and modernize offences of espionage, sabotage, and foreign interference. They are due to appear at the Old Bailey on 10 May along with three other men linked to the investigation.