Event 829

{
  "category": "InfoOps",
  "confidence": "Low",
  "confidence_rationale": "The ISS official report, as cited by a major national news outlet, provides direct evidence of covert negotiations. The nature of the activity is confirmed both by official statements and specific allegations related to foreign funding of sensitive cultural institutions.",
  "countries": [
    "Estonia",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "country": "Estonia",
  "defense_prep": {},
  "description": "Estonia's Internal Security Service (ISS) reported that the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church covertly negotiated with Russia in 2024 for funding a Russian-language private school in Tallinn. Such actions raise concerns of covert foreign influence and possible security risks.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-04-14T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) states in its yearbook that the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church held covert negotiations with Russia over funding.",
    "The negotiations concerned a Russian-language private school in Tallinn.",
    "ISS assesses these activities as a channel for Russian influence."
  ],
  "evidence_quotes": [
    "\"The Estonian Internal Security Service writes in its new yearbook that the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church — formerly MPEÕK — held covert negotiations with Russia in 2024 to fund a Russian-language private school located in Tallinn.\"",
    "\"The ISS sees covert negotiations and external funding efforts of this nature as a clear risk for foreign influence and pressure.\""
  ],
  "evidence_urls": [
    "https://news.err.ee/1609664036/iss-orthodox-church-covertly-negotiating-with-russia-for-private-school-funding"
  ],
  "extra": {
    "category_raw": "Internal Influence Ops / 5Th Column",
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "extra": {
          "evidence": [
            "Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) states in its yearbook that the Estonian Christian Orthodox Church held covert negotiations with Russia over funding.",
            "The negotiations concerned a Russian-language private school in Tallinn.",
            "ISS assesses these activities as a channel for Russian influence."
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "fifth_column_countries": [
    "EE"
  ],
  "follow_up_by_country": [],
  "headline": "ISS: Orthodox church covertly negotiating with Russia for private school funding",
  "location_text": "Tallinn",
  "media_assets": [
    {
      "description": "Screenshot capture",
      "type": "screenshot",
      "url": "/media/event_829_1763939898_55c79dbe.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "notes": "??Estonian Internal Security reveals covert contacts between local Orthodox Church and ??Russia over school funding.",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "screenshot_count": 1,
  "sources": [
    "https://news.err.ee/1609664036/iss-orthodox-church-covertly-negotiating-with-russia-for-private-school-funding"
  ],
  "url": "https://news.err.ee/1609664036/iss-orthodox-church-covertly-negotiating-with-russia-for-private-school-funding"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "EE",
  "Attack Type": "Internal Influence Ops / 5th Column",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "EE",
  "Date": "14-Apr-25",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "??Estonian Internal Security reveals covert contacts between local Orthodox Church and ??Russia over school funding.",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "??Estonian Orthodox Church covertly negotiated with Russia to fund private school",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "https://news.err.ee/1609664036/iss-orthodox-church-covertly-negotiating-with-russia-for-private-school-funding",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}