On July 8, 2025, reports emerged from the Old Bailey courthouse in London indicating that Hide, a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant, was ordered to be burned down, alongside its owner's kidnapping. Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a dissident opposing President Vladimir Putin, became the target of a criminal plot involving small-time criminals in Britain with links to Russian intelligence. Prior to their arrest, the gang had executed a separate operation, burning down a Ukrainian-owned warehouse in East London.
The investigation revealed extensive communication between the criminals and Russian operatives, signaling a troubling trend of the Russian state employing proxies for espionage and sabotage in Europe. Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, leading the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized the seriousness of the plots aimed at Chichvarkin and his business. Following a monthlong trial, three men were convicted of arson regarding the warehouse fire, while a fourth was found guilty of failing to report the malicious intentions against Chichvarkin. Among the group, the two ringleaders—Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves—had already confessed to their involvement in the dangerous conspiracy.
The investigation revealed extensive communication between the criminals and Russian operatives, signaling a troubling trend of the Russian state employing proxies for espionage and sabotage in Europe. Cmdr. Dominic Murphy, leading the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, emphasized the seriousness of the plots aimed at Chichvarkin and his business. Following a monthlong trial, three men were convicted of arson regarding the warehouse fire, while a fourth was found guilty of failing to report the malicious intentions against Chichvarkin. Among the group, the two ringleaders—Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves—had already confessed to their involvement in the dangerous conspiracy.
