The Russian Federation continues to actively exploit the overseas network of the Russian Orthodox Church to support influence campaigns and intelligence activities focused on influencing Ukrainian refugees in European countries, according to Kostiantyn Kholodov, Head of the Military Chaplaincy Service at Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, speaking during the forum “The Russian Orthodox Church in Europe: Infrastructure of Russian Influence,” held in Kyiv.
Kholodov stated that, under the guise of religious institutions such as the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Russian intelligence agencies have established a systematic, state-backed operational network. According to him, these facilities serve as covert operational hubs beyond the reach of European law enforcement authorities. Such closed locations allegedly allow intelligence operatives to stay overnight, change their appearance, use disguises, and carry out other clandestine activities.
Kholodov also stressed that the analytical study on the structure and operating methods of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe, presented at the forum, should become a practical tool for strengthening Ukraine's presence abroad. He called for the systematic expansion of Ukraine's own religious, cultural, educational, informational, and security infrastructure overseas to help millions of Ukrainians maintain ties with their homeland and protect them from what he described as Moscow's destabilizing influence.
