Russia paid a recruit to vandalize London mosques and make it look like a homegrown hate crime
A Ukrainian man has pleaded guilty to the attacks. Direct Action UK, a fake British far-right group, then circulated images of the graffiti.
Russia paid Ukrainian national Illia Bilyk, 21, to vandalize five Muslim institutions in east London, making it appear as a homegrown hate crime, according to Euromaidan Press. The attacks, linked to a Russian network behind previous arsons targeting former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were carried out by Bilyk through a fake British far-right group called Direct Action UK, which recruited through Telegram.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Bilyk spray-painted offensive graffiti at three mosques, a primary school, and a Shariah council between January 23 and 25, 2025. The handler responsible for recruiting Bilyk, known as EL or "El Money," also recruited through Telegram groups used by Ukrainians seeking work. Bilyk will be sentenced on October 19, 2025, while the Russian handler, identified as Yevgeny Lyukshin, a 23-year-old Russian diplomat, remains unconfirmed. The Russian Embassy denied any involvement in these unlawful activities.
Brief written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
