A Russian Orthodox church in Vasteras, on the outskirts of Stockholm and just 0.2 miles (300 m) from an airport used by NATO, could be serving as a Russian spying hub, according to a report published on August 27.
The Church of the Holy Mother of God of Kazan, built in 2019 with funding from Rosatom—the Russian nuclear energy agency—is managed by the Kremlin-aligned Moscow Patriarchate.
Elements such as a fence marked with “No Trespassing” signs, the spire being built taller than originally approved, and the church’s close proximity to the airport only became points of concern after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Nonetheless, under Swedish law, security services are not allowed to enter churches.
Following a 2024 report by the Swedish Security Intelligence suggesting that “security threatening activities” may have been conducted at the site, the city council is now trying to relocate the church further away from the military airport.
The Russian ambassador in Sweden dismissed the allegations in an interview, calling it “another case of Russophobia.”
Nonetheless, this would not be the first time the Russian Orthodox Church has been linked to espionage activities.
Indeed, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, carries forward a Soviet-era playbook, using its ties with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), or Moscow Patriarchate, for strategic influence. Once aligned with the KGB, today the ROC remains both a spiritual institution and a tool of foreign policy amidst the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The following gallery investigates the complex relationship between spies and clergy, explores methods employed by Russian intelligence, and considers the impact on the Church’s credibility as a faith-based organization entwined with statecraft. Click on for more details.