A gang who firebombed Sir Keir Starmer's home in a suspected Russian spy plot face years behind bars.
Two Ukrainian men were hired by a mystery Russian figure to target the Prime Minister - setting fire to his family home, a former car and another property he was linked to in a plot which experts say bears all the hallmarks of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.
Lured by the promise of making £3,000 in 'easy money', Roman Lavrynovych, 21 and Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, set fire to Sir Keir's constituency home where his sister-in-law was staying and a flat in Islington which he had previously managed in the early hours of May 11 and May 12.
Now, after their conviction today it can be revealed that their tasker - a mystery Russian figure who has never been identified - is likely to have been working for one of Russia's shadowy intelligence units, which have a history of recruiting low level criminals and impoverished immigrants for sabotage bids.
MI5 and police have been unable to trace the figure known to Lavrynovych only as 'El Money', who issued instructions via the encrypted Telegram social media app.
