Russia offered crypto to firebomb Sir Keir Starmer’s home, report

A Russian sabotage network reportedly offered a 22-year-old Ukrainian man thousands of dollars worth of tether ($USDT) to firebomb properties belonging to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

That’s according to numerous reports published by the BBC, Financial Times (FT), and The Guardian, which revealed the origins of the arson plot.

Roman Lavrynovych was convicted on Monday alongside Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, for conspiracy to commit arson after setting fire to the PM’s old car, previously owned Islington flat, and a property that he rents to his sister.

The attacks were carried out at the behest of a Russian-based Telegram user known as “El Money” who previously paid Lavrynovych to put up posters advertising Direct Action, a Russian-manufactured far-right group.

According to the FT and The Guardian, between 2024 and 2025, El Money offered to pay Lavrynovych £3,000 in $USDT to carry out the arson attacks on the condition that they made it into the national news.

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The BBC suspects that El Money is actually 23-year-old Russian diplomat and son of a senior Russian official Evgeny Lyukshin. Lyukshin was reportedly trained by spies and propagandists in “information warfare.”

The FT was also able to link El Money to Russian hacktivist group NoName057(16) which the US has labeled a “state-sanctioned project.”

Lavrynovych’s crypto address, which was sent to his Russian handler, also received funds from crypto wallets that were traced back to US-sanctioned crypto exchange Garantex.

Criminals often opt to use $USDT when laundering ill-gotten gains into cash, working around sanctions, or dealing with payments for criminal activity.

Garantex has long been suspected of aiding Russia’s government to avoid sanctions and has processed up to $20 billion worth of $USDT transactions despite US and UK sanctions.

Lavrynovych claimed in court that he didn’t know the targets were connected to Starmer. Interestingly, the Russian aspect of this case wasn’t explored, and the arsonists’ handler is not mentioned in the Crown Prosecution Service’s press release.

The two men will be sentenced this Friday.

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