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A Ukrainian man has been charged in connection with arson attacks on properties and a car linked to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Roman Lavrynovych, 21, a Ukrainian national living in Sydenham, south-east London, has been charged with three counts of arson with intent to endanger life, the Metropolitan Police said on Thursday.
The charges relate to three incidents in north London in the past week, including a fire at Starmer’s family home in Kentish Town on Monday and an earlier car fire on the same street.
Another fire took place over the weekend at a property in Islington which is also linked to Starmer, sparking fears of a co-ordinated campaign against the prime minister. No one was hurt.
Lavrynovych, who was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Counterterror police have led the investigation and have kept an open mind about a potential motive.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Starmer told MPs the fires were “an attack on all of us, on democracy, and the values that we stand for”.
Although the Met’s statement did not discuss a potential motive, Lavrynovych’s nationality will probably inform investigators’ inquiries.
Starmer has remained a staunch ally of Ukraine and the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion, even as US President Donald Trump has threatened to reduce support.
Last week, Starmer travelled to Ukraine with other European leaders, his second visit since becoming prime minister 10 months ago.
Starmer and other leaders urged Vladimir Putin to agree to a full ceasefire for 30 days — proposals the Russian president has so far rejected.
Almost 220,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to the UK under special visa schemes since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, according to the Home Office.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s counterterrorism command, said on Tuesday: “A key line of enquiry is whether the fires are linked due to the two premises and the vehicle all having previous links to the same high-profile public figure.”
Police officers were “working at pace and continue to explore various lines of enquiry to establish the cause of the fires, and any potential motivation for these”, he added.