The BBC and other outlets reported that arson attacks on properties linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in north London in May 2025 were orchestrated by a Russian-speaking handler operating from Russia via Telegram. Two operatives — a Ukrainian and Romanian national — were convicted at the Old Bailey of carrying out the attacks on Starmer's former home and other linked properties. Intelligence assessments point to a Russia-based network behind the plot, though police and counter-terror officials stated they could not formally attribute the operation to the Russian state.