Russia utilizes ROC facilities in Europe for intelligence operations, according to Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine
This was stated by Father Kostiantyn Kholodov, head of the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR/HUR MO), according to LB.ua.
He made this statement during a discussion at the forum "The ROC in Europe: Infrastructure of Russian Influence," held on July 17 in Kyiv.
"We are discussing systematic actions by Russian special services operating on European soil — this is unrelated to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, or any similar entities. In fact, these are covert operations. They create centers where law enforcement cannot intervene. These locations allow individuals to spend the night, change their appearance, and adopt disguises, among other activities. At these centers, the Russians operate systematically and at the state level," emphasized Kostiantyn Kholodov.
He also noted that the analytical study of the Russian Orthodox Church's activities in Europe, presented at the forum, could serve as a practical tool for establishing a Ukrainian presence abroad.
"We must strengthen our own ecclesiastical, cultural, educational, informational, and security infrastructures abroad so that millions of Ukrainians continue to identify with Ukraine and resist the destructive influence from Moscow," Kholodov stressed.
