Vladimir Putin is allegedly deploying nuns as an unconventional weapon in Europe, with a pro-Kremlin convent previously barred from the UK now accused of running covert operations in Sweden to fund the war in Ukraine.
Convent's Covert Activities Uncovered
Shocking images have emerged showing a nun in full religious habit holding a Russian flag marked with the pro-war 'Z' symbol. The sisters belong to the St Elisabeth Orthodox convent, originally based in Belarus.
An investigation revealed the group was active in more than 20 churches across Sweden. Under the guise of religious work, they conducted fundraising and sold items like handmade crafts, wooden icons, and knitwear. Swedish authorities now believe the proceeds were funneled to support Russian military units on the front lines in Ukraine.
In one instance in Täby, a Stockholm suburb, the nuns were invited by a local vicar unaware of their Kremlin links. They sold their goods, with profits allegedly directed to the war effort.
Strategic Threat and Previous Bans
The convent's ties extend to a church belonging to the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, built near Stockholm Vasteras airport, a site described as having strategic importance to NATO.
This is not the group's first brush with sanctions. They were banned from visiting Winchester Cathedral in 2022 due to their vocal support for Putin's invasion. More recently, the sisters visited occupied Ukrainian territories to provide a morale boost to Russian forces, with photographs showing a nun posing in front of a tank with a soldier.
Kristina Smith, head of the Church of Sweden’s crisis planning group, stated the Russian Orthodox Church had also tried to hire facilities near military bases. She called the situation a rude awakening for Sweden, a nation that has prided itself on peace for over 200 years.
Nationwide Alert and Wider Pattern
Swedish Catholic and Orthodox communities have now been officially warned to avoid all cooperation with the St Elisabeth convent and to report any of their activity to the police immediately.
This case fits a broader pattern of religious fronts being used for Kremlin operations. In a separate incident, a convent from the Narva diocese of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate was banned from the EU Schengen area. An investigation found nuns there were given fictitious contracts to raise funds for purchasing strike drones, Starlink equipment, and other military gear for Russian troops.
The exposure of these networks highlights a growing security concern for European nations, revealing how non-traditional actors are being weaponised in hybrid warfare campaigns emanating from Moscow.
