Gregory Davis from Hope Not Hate expressed concern that the network is actively recruiting individuals for acts of violence, with potential grooming already in progress.

Members of the Telegram groups have discussed mass Qur’an burnings and offered cryptocurrency for attacks on police vehicles, demonstrating a willingness to incite violence.

The situation has intensified with a fake bomb reported outside a mosque in North London, highlighting the urgency of the threat.

A network of Telegram channels linked to Russia is inciting UK residents to commit violent attacks on mosques and Muslims, offering cryptocurrency as payment for such acts.

These channels have escalated their rhetoric from promoting graffiti to explicitly calling for knife attacks, raising significant concerns among campaigners and authorities.

Recent incidents in London, including Islamophobic graffiti on mosques and schools, are being investigated by police and are connected to these channels.

Organizations like the Community Security Trust (CST) and Tell Mama are alarmed by the channels' Russian ties, especially in light of a 73% increase in Islamophobic assaults in 2024.

Hope Not Hate, a campaign group, has submitted a dossier on these channels to counter-terrorism police and the Home Office, indicating a greater threat than typical extreme-right content.

In response to these threats, the Home Office asserts that national security is a priority and is taking steps to counter malicious online activity, including implementing the Online Safety Act.

Labour MP Stella Creasy emphasized the need to take allegations of foreign interference seriously, noting a local pattern of misinformation and division.

Ken McCallum, head of MI5, warned about Russian efforts to create chaos in Europe through social unrest and division, which aligns with the current situation.

Evidence of Russian links to these channels includes language settings on admin accounts and the use of Cyrillic script, suggesting connections to pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine sentiments.