Two males charged over ‘Wagner Group impressed’ arson assault

Two men charged in connection with an alleged arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses in London are due in court today.

Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, are accused of carrying out the alleged attack on behalf of the Wagner Group.

They join five other defendants who have been charged with the blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, on March 20, which needed 60 firefighters to bring it under control.

Both are accused of offences under the National Security Act, becoming part of the first case concerning allegations under the new spy laws, the Metropolitan Police said.

Pictured: The blaze at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, on March 20, which needed 60 firefighters to bring it under control

Police said they will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court (pictured) on Saturday, August 3

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: ‘While these are very serious allegations, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them in connection with this matter.

‘This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought I would urge everyone to respect the criminal justice process and not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case.’

Co-defendant Dylan Earl, 20, is accused of orchestrating arson attacks on behalf of the Wagner Group, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Rose, of Croydon, south London, and Asmena, of Wandsworth, south London, are both accused of aggravated arson.

Rose has been further charged with one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

Police said they will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday. 

It is alleged Earl was in contact with a handler in the Wagner Group before carrying out reconnaissance of targets ‘in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia’.

It is claimed that Earl recruited and paid others to carry out the arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses owned by Oddisey and Meest UK.

The Wagner Group, whose former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash last summer, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.

The Wagner Group, whose former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured) was killed in a plane crash last summer, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK 

Mr Prigozhin and his troops, who have fought for Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, had staged a short-lived coup against the authorities in Moscow in June last year.

Rose and Asmena’s co-defendants face a plea hearing on October 4 and a provisional trial of eight weeks from June 2 2025.

Earl, of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, is charged with aggravated arson, preparatory conduct to an act endangering life or a person or an act creating a serious risk to the health and safety of the public in the United Kingdom contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act 2023, and assisting a foreign intelligence service contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.

Dmitrijus Paulauska, 22, from Croydon, who is on conditional bail, is accused of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.

Jake Reeves, 22, from Croydon, is accused of aggravated arson and accepting cash knowing it was from a foreign intelligence service.

Nii Mensah, 21, of Thornton Heath, south London, is charged with aggravated arson.