Ukrainian Man Pleads Guilty to East London Mosque Vandalism Linked to Russian Sabotage Network

A 21-year-old Ukrainian national has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage after targeting five Islamic locations in east London with abusive graffiti. Illia Bilyk entered his guilty pleas at Thames Magistrates' Court, admitting to a string of vandalism incidents carried out in January 2025.

According to details revealed in court and through investigations by the BBC and the advocacy group Hope not Hate, Bilyk's actions were part of a wider, covert operation orchestrated by the Russian state. Bilyk told police that he was recruited into the scheme via the messaging app Telegram by a Russian speaker, who provided specific targets and paid him following the attacks.

The vandalism spree took place across two dates in January 2025. On 23 January, Bilyk sprayed graffiti on the Stratford Islamic Association, the Al-Birr Mosque, and the Leyton Jamia Masjid. Two days later, on 25 January, he targeted the Noor Ul Islam Primary School and the Islamic Shariah Council.

Investigators uncovered direct links between Bilyk's handlers and a wider network of Russian-backed sabotage in the United Kingdom. In June, two other Ukrainian men, Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc, were sentenced to prison for conspiring to carry out arson attacks targeting a property and a vehicle connected to former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Lavrynovych, who physically carried out the fires at Sir Keir's property, also confessed to spraying Islamophobic graffiti on an Islamic building in south London.

Subsequent investigations established that a Russian operative utilizing the initials EL directed both the arson attacks and the widespread campaign of Islamophobic vandalism across London, including the east London venues targeted by Bilyk. EL operated remotely through social media and Telegram, managing a fabricated far-right organization known as Direct Action UK designed to provoke street-level vandalism in British cities.

Evidence presented in the case shows that shortly after Bilyk completed his graffiti attacks in east London, photographic documentation of the vandalism was distributed within a Direct Action Telegram channel. Furthermore, investigators observed that hours after two of the mosque attacks, the handler EL posted job advertisements in a Telegram group aimed at Ukrainian nationals, offering financial compensation for photographs of local buildings.

The BBC investigation previously identified a Russian diplomat, Evgeny Lyukshin, as a participant in the Direct Action UK chat group. Lyukshin, whose profile matched the operational details of the handler known as EL, received training in information warfare from senior Russian intelligence officials. Lyukshin did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.

Chief Superintendent Rhona Hunt of the Metropolitan Police addressed the impact of the incidents, stating that the offenses caused significant distress and ongoing concern within Muslim communities throughout east London. Hunt emphasized that anti-Muslim hate crime and Islamophobia have no place in the capital, noting the police force's commitment to addressing hate offenses and providing reassurance to affected communities.

Illia Bilyk is scheduled to appear for sentencing on 19 October at Stratford Magistrates' Court, where he will face final penalties for the racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage charges.