Ukrainian admits mosque and school vandalism in London

Illia Bilyk, aged 21, has pleaded guilty to five charges of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage. The admissions were made at Thames Magistrates' Court concerning incidents that took place on 23 and 25 January 2025. Bilyk sprayed graffiti on the Stratford Islamic Association, Al-Birr Mosque, and Leyton Jamia Masjid on the first date. Two days later, he targeted Noor Ul Islam Primary School and the Islamic Shariah Council.

Recruitment and Payment

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Illia Bilyk faces five counts of racially and religiously-aggravated criminal damage following incidents in January 2025.

Bilyk told police he was approached on the Telegram messaging app by a Russian speaker who recruited him for the vandalism. This individual provided instructions on where to target and subsequently paid him for the actions. This recruitment method echoes that used in previous cases linked to a Russian network.

Links to Previous Incidents

This case is connected to a wider Russian network responsible for sabotage and provocation campaigns in the UK. In June, two other Ukrainians, Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc, were jailed for arson attacks targeting property and a vehicle associated with former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Lavrynovych also admitted to spraying Islamophobic graffiti on an Islamic building in south London.

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A joint investigation by the BBC and Hope not Hate identified Russia as being behind these arson attacks and the generation of Islamophobic vandalism across London. The investigation indicated that an operative known by the initials EL, identified as Russian diplomat Evgeny Lyukshin, was central to organising these activities remotely through social media and Telegram. Lyukshin, who was trained in "information warfare", did not respond to the BBC when approached.

Community Impact and Next Steps

Images of the vandalism committed by Bilyk were shared in a Telegram group associated with a fake far-right group called Direct Action UK, which was reportedly created by Russian operatives. Chief Superintendent Rhona Hunt of the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the significant distress caused to Muslim communities in east London. She stated that anti-Muslim hate crime has no place in London and that the police are committed to tackling hate crime and reassuring communities. Bilyk is scheduled to be sentenced on 19 October at Stratford Magistrates' Court.