Unconventional Espionage: Russia’s Global Church Strategy

Strategic Location and Security Concerns

Sweden has initiated an investigation into a Russian Orthodox church in the town of Västerås, focusing on potential connections to the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare strategies. According to reports, the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is under scrutiny for possibly being used for espionage activities. Located just 300 meters from Stockholm-Västerås Airport, the church has drawn attention from local authorities and security services due to its ties with Russian intelligence.

The airport, known as Hässlö Flygplats, was once a base for the Swedish Air Force before 1983. With Sweden’s NATO membership in 2024, the airport has become a strategic military hub, frequently hosting exercises for the alliance. The head of the control tower, Andreas Nyqvist, emphasized that having a Russian church so close to the airport is unusual. “Nothing is normal about a church that close to the airport,” he stated.

Västerås is also situated near Lake Mälaren, a strategically sensitive corridor linking the Swedish heartland to the Baltic Sea. Several key bridges cross this important waterway, further heightening concerns about the proximity of the church to critical infrastructure.

Construction and Regulatory Violations

SAPO, Sweden’s domestic security agency, had previously tried to halt the construction of the church, citing security risks. However, the project continued despite these warnings. The church’s spire reaches 22 meters, which exceeds the local zoning plan limit of 10 meters due to its proximity to the airport.

Leadership and Alleged Espionage

During the consecration of the Västerås church in November 2023, Russian and Belarusian diplomats were present. One of them, Vladimir Lyapin, was later exposed as a Russian spy by Swedish investigative journalists. Two weeks after the ceremony, SAPO issued a public warning that the Moscow Patriarchate in Sweden is supporting Russian intelligence operations and receiving significant state funding.

Municipal authorities are now considering the unprecedented step of expropriating the building, citing national security concerns. This move comes amid growing attention on Father Pavel Makarenko, the parish priest at the church. Investigations revealed that Makarenko served as the CEO of NC Nordic Control AB, a Russian-owned import and export firm, while fulfilling his religious duties. His corporate career ended abruptly in 2021 when a Stockholm district court convicted him of aggravated accounting fraud related to fake bills for companies in Russia and Belarus. Despite denying the charges, he was given a suspended six-month jail sentence, 160 hours of community service, and a three-year business ban.

Russian Churches in Europe

According to a report by the Molfar Institute, a Ukrainian open-source intelligence company, the Russian Orthodox Church may use its churches in Europe for intelligence activities. These churches are often strategically positioned near critical facilities. The Molfar investigation analyzed 11 European countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, and specifically examined the church in Västerås. It claimed that the church’s construction was financed by Rosatom, Russia’s state atomic energy corporation.

Notably, the Swedish Westinghouse electric factory, which produces nuclear fuel assemblies, is approximately 5 kilometers away from the Russian church. In Norway, the Molfar investigation geolocated Russian churches in Bryne, Oslo, and Kirkenes. For instance, the Russian church in Trondheim is within 1 kilometer of the Air Force Academy and less than 1 kilometer from a submarine bunker.

Government Actions and Security Measures

In some countries, authorities have taken action against Russian churches due to security concerns. In Finland, the Russian church in Turku was shut down in August 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as it was located critically close to the Coastal Fleet. In 2023, Bulgarian authorities expelled the head of the Russian church in the country over what they called a “threat to national security.” Archimandrite Vasian, who led the Russian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, was accused of espionage.