What Happened

Two men were convicted on 15 June 2026 at London's Old Bailey of plotting to set fires at properties in north London connected to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Roman Lavrynovych, 22, a Ukrainian national, was found guilty of two counts of arson — setting fires in a way that put lives at risk. Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, a Romanian national born in Ukraine, was also convicted. Both were arrested by Counter Terrorism Policing London, according to the Metropolitan Police.

A third man, Petro Pochynok, 34, was also involved in the case but denies the charges against him, the BBC reported in May 2026. Sentencing for the two convicted men has not yet been announced.

Why This Was Treated as a Serious Matter

The fact that Counter Terrorism Policing handled this case from the start — rather than regular police detectives — signals something important about how the authorities viewed it. Terrorism police typically take over an investigation when they suspect an attack was meant to intimidate the government, force it to do something, or push a foreign or ideological goal. Even if someone isn't formally charged with terrorism, this approach applies.

The charges against Lavrynovych were specifically for arson done recklessly — meaning he set fires without caring whether people would be harmed. This wording matters legally. It shows prosecutors believed the fires created genuine danger to human life, not just damage to buildings.

The Sensitive Background

Properties linked to a sitting prime minister sit within the state's security perimeter — they're protected by Britain's security apparatus. Any fire at such locations automatically triggers protocols that involve the Metropolitan Police, MI5 (the domestic security service), and the Cabinet Office's protective security team. That Counter Terrorism Policing led the arrests, rather than standard criminal investigators, reflects how seriously the state took the threat.

What We Don't Yet Know

The fact that both convicted men have Ukrainian or Romanian-Ukrainian origins will be scrutinized carefully. Ukraine receives substantial military and financial support from Britain and is a key partner in the current European security landscape. Any suggestion that a state — or a state's agents — had a hand in these attacks would carry serious diplomatic consequences.

However, the court conviction establishes only that these men committed arson. What actually motivated them, whether anyone directed them, and what the full story is — those questions remain unanswered so far. The prosecutors and security services may provide more detail when sentencing takes place, or they may release a statement explaining what they believe occurred.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the convictions. Full details of the case and any account of what drove the attacks are expected once sentencing is handed down.