Telegram Channels Tied to Russia Offering Crypto for Attacks on UK Mosques

A Russia-linked Telegram network is allegedly offering cryptocurrency to UK residents in exchange for attacks on mosques and Muslims, The Guardian reported on February 28.

The groups have reportedly shared bomb-making instructions and 3D-printed weapon designs. Posters with QR codes linking to these channels and related TikTok accounts have appeared across the UK.

Activists warn the rhetoric has escalated from graffiti to direct calls for knife attacks. Hope Not Hate has submitted a dossier to UK counterterrorism police and the Home Office, calling the network a major security threat.

Western intelligence officials suspect Russia is fueling social unrest through digital operations. In October, MI5 chief Ken McCallum warned Moscow aimed to create “sustained chaos on British and European streets.”

Evidence includes a screenshot from an X account set to Russian language and GMT+3 timezone, used in Russia and Belarus. Some messages were in Cyrillic, and key users forwarding content into UK groups have also posted in Russian in pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine Telegram chats.

One group administrator posted an anti-Ukrainian message on November 19, using a Russian-language slur. Weeks later, the same account sought to hire someone in Sheffield or Rotherham for an unspecified task. “Hey guys, is anyone from Rotherham or Sheffield? I need help, I’m willing to pay… I really need your help,” one message read.

Group members have discussed “mass Quran burnings” and shared videos of arson, acid attacks, and homemade bomb testing. The channels invite UK residents to contact administrators privately via messaging bots.

After graffiti appeared on mosques, the network shared images and offered cryptocurrency payments for more acts or even attacks on police vehicles. One message read: “People who create the most beautiful mosque graffiti will receive a gift from our movement—£100 in any cryptocurrency.”

A UK Home Office spokesperson stated, “National security is the top priority of any government. We take any malicious activity that could pose a significant threat to our security and public safety very seriously.”

Earlier, at the “Ukraine. Year 2025” forum, Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, stated that Russian intelligence had planned a terrorist attack at a Kyiv construction hypermarket, intending to cause mass casualties and target high-ranking officials.