Officials probe possible Russian link to Starmer arson attacks in north London
British security officials are investigating the possibility of Russia having links to arson attacks at properties belonging to Sir Keir Starmer, it is claimed.
Senior Whitehall figures want to know whether actors in Moscow could have recruited three Ukrainian-born men charged by the Metropolitan Police.
Courter-terror detectives previously said they suspect the trio alleged to have target the Prime Minister were part of a wider conspiracy.
But they added the alleged Russia link is one of many lines of investigation and are keeping an 'open mind'.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, an aspiring model and Ukrainian citizen living in Sydenham, south London, was charged last week with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life.
Petro Pochynok, 34, of Holloway Road in Islington, who describes himself online as a fashion entrepreneur, is accused of conspiring with his two co-defendants, as well as 'with others unknown', to commit arson.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 21.
Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, who is also a would-be model and is a Russian-speaking Romanian citizen born in Ukraine, was charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life.
Two of the fires took place in Kentish Town, north London – one in the early hours of May 12 at the home where Sir Keir lived before he became PM and moved into Downing Street.
His former Toyota Rav4 car was set alight in the same street four days earlier on May 8.
The other fire took place on May 11 at the front door of a house converted into flats in Islington.
Sarah Przybylska, for the prosecution, had previously told the court 'at this stage the alleged offending is unexplained'.
Scotland Yard and Downing Street declined to comment to the Financial Times, which first reported the alleged Russia link.
Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, did not respond to a request for a statement.
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