{
  "id": "2e2581bc-ab6b-4baf-bb2c-b7485c3185aa",
  "url": "https://theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/28/russia-linked-telegram-channels-offering-to-pay-for-attacks-on-mosques",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Psychological Warfare",
  "incident_type": "Narratives to erode public trust",
  "country": "United Kingdom",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "2",
  "tags": [
    "Russia",
    "Telegram",
    "Islamophobia",
    "Far right",
    "UK",
    "Hybrid warfare",
    "Cryptocurrency",
    "Hate crimes"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "United Kingdom"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": "Russia-linked Telegram channels ‘offering to pay for attacks on UK mosques’",
  "description": "Several Russia-linked Telegram channels have been actively soliciting UK residents to attack mosques and spread anti-Muslim graffiti in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. The campaign group Hope Not Hate has provided counter-terrorism police and the Home Office with dossiers detailing these channels. The Telegram groups use online messaging platforms to promote Islamophobic hate and motivate physical attacks by offering financial incentives. This concerted effort appears aimed at inflaming racial and religious hatred within the UK, contributing to broader far-right extremist activity. Experts warn that this tactic is part of Russia’s hybrid warfare approach to undermining Western societies by exploiting ethnic and religious divisions.",
  "summary_short": "Russia-linked Telegram channels were offering cryptocurrency payments to UK residents to carry out anti-Muslim attacks and graffiti on mosques as reported on 28 February 2025.",
  "summary_extended": "On 28 February 2025, The Guardian reported that Telegram channels linked to Russia had been offering cryptocurrency payments to residents in the UK in exchange for carrying out attacks on mosques and daubing anti-Muslim graffiti. Campaign groups such as Hope Not Hate have passed dossiers of these channels to UK counter-terrorism police and the Home Office. The operation reportedly involves coordinated attempts to stir Islamophobia and far-right hatred in the UK using online incentivized campaigns. Experts and activists warn this fits into a broader pattern of Russia exploiting social divisions and stoking far-right extremism abroad. The Telegram channels in question are believed to be well-organized in offering payments to encourage such hate crimes, presenting a direct security threat and a hybrid warfare tactic targeting societal cohesion within the UK.",
  "actor_primary": "Telegram channels linked to Russia",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "United Kingdom",
  "location_region": "",
  "location_coordinates_lat": 55.378051,
  "location_coordinates_lon": -3.435973,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes hostile Russian-linked Telegram channels that are incentivizing attacks on UK mosques, constituting a direct aggressor activity targeting societal cohesion via cyber-enabled influence and incitement. There is no mention of allied defense preparations in the report.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-02-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:28.300Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:37:04.825Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

{
  "id": "2e2581bc-ab6b-4baf-bb2c-b7485c3185aa",
  "url": "https://theguardian.com/news/2025/feb/28/russia-linked-telegram-channels-offering-to-pay-for-attacks-on-mosques",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Psychological Warfare",
  "incident_type": "Narratives to erode public trust",
  "country": "United Kingdom",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "2",
  "tags": [
    "Russia",
    "Telegram",
    "Islamophobia",
    "Far right",
    "UK",
    "Hybrid warfare",
    "Cryptocurrency",
    "Hate crimes"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "United Kingdom"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": "Russia-linked Telegram channels ‘offering to pay for attacks on UK mosques’",
  "description": "Several Russia-linked Telegram channels have been actively soliciting UK residents to attack mosques and spread anti-Muslim graffiti in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. The campaign group Hope Not Hate has provided counter-terrorism police and the Home Office with dossiers detailing these channels. The Telegram groups use online messaging platforms to promote Islamophobic hate and motivate physical attacks by offering financial incentives. This concerted effort appears aimed at inflaming racial and religious hatred within the UK, contributing to broader far-right extremist activity. Experts warn that this tactic is part of Russia’s hybrid warfare approach to undermining Western societies by exploiting ethnic and religious divisions.",
  "summary_short": "Russia-linked Telegram channels were offering cryptocurrency payments to UK residents to carry out anti-Muslim attacks and graffiti on mosques as reported on 28 February 2025.",
  "summary_extended": "On 28 February 2025, The Guardian reported that Telegram channels linked to Russia had been offering cryptocurrency payments to residents in the UK in exchange for carrying out attacks on mosques and daubing anti-Muslim graffiti. Campaign groups such as Hope Not Hate have passed dossiers of these channels to UK counter-terrorism police and the Home Office. The operation reportedly involves coordinated attempts to stir Islamophobia and far-right hatred in the UK using online incentivized campaigns. Experts and activists warn this fits into a broader pattern of Russia exploiting social divisions and stoking far-right extremism abroad. The Telegram channels in question are believed to be well-organized in offering payments to encourage such hate crimes, presenting a direct security threat and a hybrid warfare tactic targeting societal cohesion within the UK.",
  "actor_primary": "Telegram channels linked to Russia",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "United Kingdom",
  "location_region": "",
  "location_coordinates_lat": 55.378051,
  "location_coordinates_lon": -3.435973,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes hostile Russian-linked Telegram channels that are incentivizing attacks on UK mosques, constituting a direct aggressor activity targeting societal cohesion via cyber-enabled influence and incitement. There is no mention of allied defense preparations in the report.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-02-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:28.300Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:37:04.825Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}