Sweden is investigating the Russian Orthodox Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Västerås for potential use in Russian hybrid warfare and espionage activities. The church is located approximately 300 meters from Stockholm-Västerås Airport, now a strategic NATO military hub, and is suspected by Sweden's domestic security agency SAPO to serve as a platform for intelligence gathering and hostile operations. The church's construction was controversially permitted despite security concerns and zoning restrictions limiting building height near the airport. The church's consecration in November 2023 was attended by Russian and Belarusian diplomats, including Vladimir Lyapin, identified as a Russian spy. The parish priest, Pavel Makarenko, has a criminal record related to accounting fraud involving Russia and Belarus. The construction was reportedly funded by Rosatom, a Russian state corporation, and the church's location is strategically close to sensitive Swedish military and nuclear industrial sites. Similar intelligence-linked activities using Russian Orthodox churches have been identified in Norway, Finland, and Bulgaria, with some churches in Europe closed due to national security concerns.

Sweden is investigating the Russian Orthodox Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Västerås for potential use in Russian hybrid warfare and espionage activities. The church is located approximately 300 meters from Stockholm-Västerås Airport, now a strategic NATO military hub, and is suspected by Sweden's domestic security agency SAPO to serve as a platform for intelligence gathering and hostile operations. The church's construction was controversially permitted despite security concerns and zoning restrictions limiting building height near the airport. The church's consecration in November 2023 was attended by Russian and Belarusian diplomats, including Vladimir Lyapin, identified as a Russian spy. The parish priest, Pavel Makarenko, has a criminal record related to accounting fraud involving Russia and Belarus. The construction was reportedly funded by Rosatom, a Russian state corporation, and the church's location is strategically close to sensitive Swedish military and nuclear industrial sites. Similar intelligence-linked activities using Russian Orthodox churches have been identified in Norway, Finland, and Bulgaria, with some churches in Europe closed due to national security concerns.