Politico writes about this with reference to the Swedish Public Security Service (SÄPO). SÄPO’s findings came after the Swedish Agency for the Support of Religious Communities (SST) stopped providing financial support to the temple in May 2024. The decision was made based on consultations with the special service. As the press secretary of SÄPO stated, the department concluded that representatives of the religious institution “had contacts” with persons working for Russian intelligence in Sweden.
“Russia uses the Russian Orthodox Church as a platform for conducting intelligence activities in Sweden,” the interviewer of the publication explained.
According to Politico, the temple is built almost next to the strategically important airport of Westeros, where military exercises are sometimes held, and nearby are water treatment facilities and the production facilities of energy companies ABB and Westinghouse. As noted, the decision to build the church was made in 2017. Westeros is 100 km from Stockholm. The temple did not respond to Politico’s request. The Russian Orthodox Church called the accusation of “possibility of espionage” “absurd” and “slander.”
In October 2022, it became known that the Russian Orthodox Church had acquired several real estate properties in Norway and the country’s military bases. Alfa security expert Sefland Winge noted at the time that real estate owned by the Russian Orthodox Church “could be a problem” because the buildings could be used for something other than religious purposes: “They can intercept signals, operate drones from there, offer housing to people who make a map of the area,” the expert noted.
Viktor Yahun
Politico
