Swedish security services recently exposed a clandestine Russian espionage scheme involving individuals posing as Orthodox nuns. These operatives, tied to Russia’s GRU military intelligence, sought to blend into Sweden’s religious and migrant communities to conduct intelligence gathering and subversive activities. The operation capitalized on Sweden’s liberal asylum policies and its large Eastern Orthodox population to mask their true agendas. This fits within a broader Kremlin hybrid warfare campaign leveraging unconventional methods to destabilize and influence Nordic states amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Authorities have intensified counterintelligence efforts targeting such covert networks. The revelation highlights the growing sophistication of Russian espionage in Europe, extending beyond traditional spycraft into cultural and religious infiltration.
Category: Intelligence & Espionage
Subcategory: Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
Incident Type: Recruitment of locals
Country: Sweden
Source report: www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new…
