UK authorities charged Dylan Earl with conducting hostile activity to benefit a foreign state—in this case, Russia—following Crown Prosecution Service authorization on Friday. Four other men have also been charged in relation to the arson plot. This marks the first time authorities have filed charges under the new National Security Act 2023.
Earl allegedly criminal conduct benefitted the Russian state to the detriment of Ukraine. It included plotting and paying for an arson attack on two Ukrainian-linked London sites that took place earlier this year, on March 20. The alleged target of the attack has not been publicly identified and is instead referred to as “Mr X.” 60 firefighters were needed on the scene of the attack.
Earl is charged with aggravated arson, preparatory conduct to endanger life and assisting a foreign intelligence service, including agreeing to undertake espionage work himself and recruit others to do the same. Also charged in relation to the arson plot are Paul English and Nii Mensah, who were charged with aggravated arson; Jack Reeves, who is charged with agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service and aggravated arson; and Dmitrijus Paulauska, who is charged with having information about terrorist acts.
The CPS report warned against any reporting or online commentary that could affect the ongoing trials. All five are expected to appear for trial at the Old Bailey on May 10.
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Cameron expressed concern on Friday about the presence of such terrorist acts in the UK. Others have noted the significance of this as the first instance of charges being brought under the new National Security Act. Counter Terrorism Policing stressed that they do not believe that the public is in any danger relating to this matter and, as in the CPS statement, warned against speculating or otherwise prejudicing the proceedings.
The announcement of the charges follows Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is alleged by prosecutors that Earl is connected to the Wagner Group, which is proscribed by the UK as a banned terrorist organization. The Wagner Group is a private military company that gained attention for its involvement in conflicts, particularly in several African nations, Syria and Ukraine. While it is officially a private organization, there is evidence to suggest that it has close ties to the Russian government and operates as a proxy force for Russian interests. That said, the Russian government has never formally acknowledged the Wagner Group’s affiliation with the state.
