“In the Swedish city of Vesteros, a Russian Orthodox church was built near strategic objects, which may threaten the country’s national security.”, — write: www.ukrinform.ua
In the Swedish city of Vesteros, a Russian Orthodox church was built near strategic objects, which may threaten the country’s national security.
On the outskirts of the Swedish city of Västerös, which is located 100 km west of the country’s capital, Stockholm, a church of the Russian Orthodox Church was built. The main gate of the church is located a few hundred meters from Westeros Airport.
The airport is strategically important as it has been designated as a reserve airport and is available for 24/7 use in the event of a military or civilian emergency.
A water treatment plant serving Westeros, which has a population of 130,000, is a minute’s drive from the airport. persons, and adjacent areas.
Closer to the city itself are the production facilities of energy companies ABB and Westinghouse.
Experts on national security see a threat in placing a Russian church in the vicinity of strategic objects of the country, as it can be used in the interests of intelligence and for the organization of sabotage operations against Sweden.
“The church can be used to gather information regarding the Westeros airport and large companies involved in the energy sector. When the Swedish Defense Forces conduct exercises at or near an airport, as they did in June, they do so under possible surveillance by the church,” said Markus Göransson, a researcher at the Swedish Defense University who deals with Russian issues.
At the end of May, the Swedish state body that provides financial support to religious organizations in the country, known as SST, stopped funding the church in Sweden after consulting with the country’s Security Police (Säpo).
A Säpo spokesman said the agency had concluded that church representatives “had contact” with people working for Russian intelligence in Sweden.
Read also: Patriarch Kirill there are central a figure in common church militarism in of Russia – CPD “The Russian state uses the Russian Orthodox Church in Sweden as a platform to conduct intelligence activities in Sweden,” the spokesman said.
Experts suggest introducing more restrictive measures in this matter.
As Ukrinform noted, in October, the Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs, Lauri Läenemets, proposed to the government a draft law on banning the activities of churches or parishes in Estonia connected with organizations that support Russian aggression.
Photo from the website politico.eu