Russian Operatives Target London Restaurant in Arson and Kidnapping Plot

In a shocking revelation, a London court disclosed how Russian operatives orchestrated a plot to burn down Hide, a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant owned by dissident Yevgeny Chichvarkin. The conspiracy involved local criminals and exposed the use of proxies by Russian intelligence to conduct serious criminal activities abroad.

Hide, a celebrated Michelin-starred restaurant in London's upscale Mayfair area, gained notoriety last year for being the target of a dreadful arson and kidnapping scheme orchestrated by Russian intelligence operatives. Yevgeny Chichvarkin, the restaurant's owner and an outspoken critic of President Putin, was specifically selected for this plot.

Court proceedings revealed that a gang of local criminals was directed to not only kidnap Chichvarkin but also to incinerate his restaurant and an associated wine store. Fortunately, law enforcement successfully apprehended these individuals before they could execute their sinister plans; however, they had previously carried out a separate assignment, setting fire to a Ukrainian-owned warehouse in East London in March 2024.

The investigation unveiled thousands of messages exchanged between the operatives and the criminals, showcasing the alarming extent of Russian operatives funding crime rings to carry out espionage and sabotage across Europe. Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, addressed the significance of the case, asserting that it exemplifies how the Russian state relies on 'proxies' to engage in serious criminal acts on foreign soil.

On Tuesday, the jury declared three men guilty of the arson committed at the warehouse, while a fourth individual was found guilty for not informing authorities about the plans against Chichvarkin and his businesses. Ringleaders Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves confessed to their involvement in this elaborate and menacing conspiracy.