EXCLUSIVE Why Putin will be HAPPY that Russian-hired 'lowlifes' were caught over London warehouse firebombing - as Moscow hikes up its shadow war on the West

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Russia deliberately groomed 'lowlife' criminals to wage a shadow war in Britain in the expectation they would be caught and exposed, a defence expert has said.
Five British men are now facing jail after firebombing a warehouse in London, which destroyed aid and satellite kit bound for Ukraine, and caused £1million of damage.
The youths, all aged between 20 and 23, were indoctrinated into the bloodthirsty Wagner Group - which is controlled by the Kremlin - over encrypted messaging app, Telegram.
But now a new theory has emerged as to why the Russian mercenary cartel recruited the hapless arsonists into sabotaging the industrial unit, in Leyton in March 2024.
Dr Antonio Giustozzi, a senior research fellow in terrorism and conflict at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), believes the gang were used as patsies whose only real mission was to be exposed as working for Wagner.
'This entire episode should be interpreted as a warning. This was all set up essentially to be uncovered,' the defence expert told MailOnline.
'It's a warning to policy-makers implying we can strike hard back in the UK... and it is one to show Russia isn't afraid of hitting back.'
Earlier this week, Jakeem Rose, 23, Ugnius Asmena, 20, and Nii Mensah, 23, were found guilty at the Old Bailey of aggravated arson with intent to endanger life after the inferno at units 1 and 2 of the Cromwell Industrial Estate in east London.
The attack was orchestrated by 'ringleader' Dylan Earl, 20, and his second in command, Jake Reeves, 23, who had already admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group.
Wagner is infamous for its heavy involvement in the invasion of Ukraine as well as carrying out military campaigns on behalf of Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin in Mali, the Middle East and South America.
The paramilitary cult's ranks allegedly include convicted murderers, rapists and gangsters - as well as ex-military personnel.
But it now appears to be spreading its tendrils into the UK, as part of a drive to lure British youths into betraying their country for cash and notoriety.
Increasingly, Wagner is turning to social media messaging apps such as Telegram to seek out hapless gangsters across Europe to join its ranks - and carry out proxy missions, thought to be under the orders of military chiefs in the Kremlin or from Putin's elite spy brigade, the GRU.
However, Dr Giustozzi, who is an expert on Wagner's tactics, questioned why the mercenary gang recruited the British youths as guns for hire.
'These are lowlife characters with no track record in sophisticated crimes. Wagner could have chosen an organised criminal or at least a proficient one. These were not,' he said.
'So why do this? You wouldn't want to do that.'
He believes the Kremlin is becoming increasingly concerned that Britain's Secret Intelligence Service - better known as MI6 - is working more closely with its Ukrainian counterparts in assisting them on planning strikes deep into the heart of Russia.
Speaking in December, MI6's outgoing boss Sir Richard Moore seemingly confirmed the UK was involved in covert operations supporting Ukraine, telling delegates at the British Embassy in Paris: 'We cherish our heritage of covert action, which we keep alive today in helping Ukraine resist the Russian invasion.'
In recent months, a number of top Russian officials and military commanders have been assassinated. It is believed Ukrainian intelligence may have ordered the killings.
And in June, Vladimir Putin was dealt a hammer blow after an audacious Ukrainian drone strike destroyed at least 10 of his prized nuclear bombers - on airfields deep inside Russia, which had been thought untouchable.
'The Russian people believe MI6 is working very closely with Ukraine intelligence to operate in Russia,' Dr Giustozzi said.
'This is really unnerving for the Russians. Some of these attacks were really quite worrying.'
He added Russia wanted to 'signal' to the British Government it was capable of using the UK's own citizens to strike back - and deliberately chose those who would get caught to act as a warning to Whitehall.
'They went for people without a lot of money,' he added. 'In other countries they rely on professional killers and gangs. These gangs have cyber capability and are quite sophisticated.
'But in Britain they went for expendable people in the expectation they would be caught. Then the information will be released. They wanted something that would hit the headlines - and it achieved that.'
Gang members Jakeem Barrington Rose, 23 (left) and Nii Kojo Mensah, 23, were also part of the group. They were convicted on Tuesday
The group were hired by Wagner to carry out the attacks. Pictured is Yevgeny Prigozhin, former head of the mercenary group, at the ruins of Ukrainian Bakhmut, in May 2023
Earl, a bungling part-time drug dealer was recruited into the ruthless cartel of mercenaries after approaching the group over Telegram.
The 20-year-old, who boasted of being 'the best spy you have ever seen', was enthralled by the prospect of giving up his life living at home with his parents.
From his bedroom in the tiny village of Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, the Putin fan who could barely speak 30 words of Russian, managed to assemble a motley crew of Britons to torch the London warehouse causing £1million of damage, destroying generators and vital Starlink satellite equipment destined for Ukraine.
The young builder and cocaine dealer was given the codename of 'SAS' and billed as Wagner's 'dagger in Europe' after Earl told the terror group of his grand plans to do 'something big' for the Kremlin, boasting he could build a 'link' between the Wagner Group, IRA and notorious Kinahan crime cartel.
But the hapless arsonists Earl hired, who ranged from criminals to a cleaner, did such a bad job on March 20 last year that the Russians refused to pay them, saying the arson attack was not up to Wagner's 'standards'.
His henchmen, Mensah, 23, Rose, 23, and Asmena, 20, failed to properly capture a full video of the burning warehouse after fleeing in a Kia Picanto which had to be 'bump started' with a set of pliers to turn the ignition key.
They were forced to return to the scene just to livestream it for the Russians, which resulted in the gang being captured on CCTV and Rose also dropped a knife with his DNA on it before fire crews arrived to bring the blaze under control.
But in a chilling illustration of Russia's appetite for inflicting chaos in the UK, despite the attack not matching Earl's lofty promises, Wagner operatives were prepared to send him on an even bigger mission to kidnap billionaire Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin.
When police swooped last April, Earl was preparing to firebomb his Mayfair restaurant and wine shop worth £30million.
Commander Dominic Murphy, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command said the astonishing case showed how Russia was prepared to buy criminal proxies to carry out their dirty work in the UK.
Earl was the first person to be convicted under the new National Security Act last year after police uncovered messages revealing how the drug dealer, who kept a Russian flag in his room, contacted a Telegram channel known as a mouthpiece for Wagner.
His second in command, Jake Reeves, also pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act 2023.
And on Tuesday, Mensah, Rose, and Asmena were all convicted by a jury for their part in the firebombing. All five men now face prison.
Commander Murphy slammed the group for joining a Wagner plot. He aid 'the ringleaders - Earl and Reeves - willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state'.
'Those involved showed little or no regard for the potential impact of their actions on the UK's wider security. Seemingly motivated by the promise of money, they were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia.' he added.
The Government insists the National Security Act 2023 is making the UK an even harder target for 'hostile states' like Russia to target.
It includes a new set of offences, measures and investigatory powers, which are used to clampdown.
In April, Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced Russia would be placed on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, meaning anyone working for the Russian state in the UK will need to declare what they are doing or risk committing an offence under the National Security Act 2023.
Speaking after the sentencing of Earl's group of mercenaries, Mr Jarvis added: 'Another proxy group acting for Russia has been brought to justice, thanks to the work of our criminal justice system.
'National security is the foundation of our Plan for Change, and these convictions should serve as a clear warning to those seeking to undermine our national security or the safety of the UK.