• The Kremlin has denied allegations of involvement in arson attacks linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
• Suspects charged include two Ukrainian nationals and a Romanian man, with a hearing scheduled for June 6.
• The arson incidents occurred between May 8 and May 12 at properties associated with Starmer.

The Kremlin has firmly denied any involvement in a series of arson attacks targeting properties associated with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, labeling such accusations as "groundless." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in response to media reports, stated that "London tends to suspect Russia of anything bad that happens in the UK," emphasizing that these suspicions are often unsubstantiated and "laughable," according to BBC and India Times.

The arson incidents occurred over three separate nights between May 8 and May 12, impacting a car formerly owned by Starmer and a building where he previously lived. Authorities have confirmed that no injuries resulted from these fires. Three individuals with ties to Ukraine have been charged and are being held without bail, with a hearing planned for June 6 in London’s Central Criminal Court, as reported by Channel News Asia and The Hill.

Among the suspects, Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 21, faces multiple counts of arson with intent to endanger life, while his compatriot Petro Pochynok, 34, and Romanian national Stanislav Carpiuc, 26, are charged with conspiracy to commit similar offenses. These developments led UK security officials to investigate a potential Russian link to the arson, although no official has definitively attributed the attacks to Moscow, adding layers of complexity to the investigation, according to India Times, BBC, and Channel News Asia.

Surveillance of such incidents reflects a broader pattern of accusations against Russia regarding acts of disruption since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In recent months, Western officials have reported numerous cases involving Russian state-sponsored sabotage, urging caution regarding the blame directed toward Russia in these investigations. The Associated Press highlighted that nearly 60 incidents have been documented where Russia and its affiliated groups have been linked to various acts of cyberattacks and vandalism since the onset of the conflict, as stated by Channel News Asia and The Hill.