Miles Johnson

Miles Johnson is an investigative reporter for the Financial Times and host of Pushkin/FT's Hot Money: The New Narcos. He covers organised crime, financial corruption, money laundering, Russian mercenaries, sanctions busting, and international crime, and is the author of Chasing Shadows: A True Story of Drugs, War and the Secret World of International Crime.

Russia-Based Network Used Telegram Recruits to Target Starmer Properties

Financial Times reporter Miles Johnson traces the arson attacks on properties linked to Keir Starmer to a Russia-based online network that allegedly recruited a 21-year-old Ukrainian in London through Telegram. Johnson’s account argues that Roman Lavrynovych was moved from posting far-right propaganda to vandalism and then fire-setting without being told the political significance of the targets. The case is presented as an example of Russian-linked disruption that is cheap, deniable and designed to look like local extremism.

Financial TimesJun 15, 20266 min read