Ukrainian guilty of vandalism at mosques linked to Russian network behind Starmer arson attack

Image source, Metropolitan Police Image caption, Ukrainian Illia Bilyk, 21, pleaded guilty to carrying out a string of vandalism attacks in London

A Ukrainian man has pleaded guilty to spraying abusive graffiti on mosques in east London, in a case linked to the Russian state network behind arson attacks against the former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Illia Bilyk, 21, entered guilty pleas at Thames Magistrates' Court to five counts of racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage.

Bilyk sprayed graffiti on the Stratford Islamic Association, Al-Birr Mosque and Leyton Jamia Masjid on 23 January 2025. Two days later he targeted Noor Ul Islam Primary School and the Islamic Shariah Council.

The BBC has learned that Bilyk told police he was recruited into spraying the graffiti by a Russian speaker after being approached on the messaging app Telegram.