What happened and why it matters
Intelligence and local specialists report that in parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe, Ukrainian refugees are sometimes approached under the guise of “spiritual support” or “assistance” to obtain contacts and establish further communication. Sources for the piece are a LIGA.net correspondent, Ringo Ringvee, adviser on religious affairs at the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and a representative of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZR). This is not only an ethical issue: it concerns the collection of personal data, influence on the diaspora and the potential risk of infiltration by agent networks.
How the recruitment mechanism works
According to eyewitnesses and intelligence descriptions, the scheme is simple and inconspicuous. A person only needs to come to the church a few times — after that “servants” or other parishioners approach them with offers of help, informational mailings or meetings. Under these promises they collect phone numbers, social media accounts and other contact information — effectively forming an initial “database” for further work.
"I felt the watchful gaze of a bald man on me... This man resembled a 'watcher' whose task is to record everyone who crosses the threshold."
— LIGA.net correspondent in Brussels
"The message is always one and the same: you have arrived in a new country and here we will help you."
— Ringo Ringvee, adviser in the Religious Affairs Department of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs
"In search of spiritual support, Ukrainians only need to attend a service two or three times, and they will inevitably be noticed — under the guise of support they are coaxed into giving contacts or social media accounts."
— representative of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine
Who finances and coordinates
According to the SZR and journalistic investigations, one of the key sponsors of ROC centers in Europe is named as the sanctioned oligarch and former MP Vadym Novynskyi. For analysts this is an important detail: financing creates network infrastructure, while the legitimacy of religious institutions provides cover for contact-based operations.
Nuances and evidentiary limits
Estonian officials, including Ringo Ringvee, stress that direct criminal evidence of “assistance” from structures of the Moscow Patriarchate in Estonia is not yet available. This does not rule out a systemic practice of collecting contacts and information, but it points to the need for careful verification and documentation of incidents.
What refugees and communities should do
Practical recommendations follow from the fact: protect personal data and avoid handing over contacts without confidence in the reliability of the initiator. Local authorities and communities should strengthen information work — explain how to recognize risks, where to turn for help and how to document suspicious incidents. European security services and Ukrainian diplomatic missions should coordinate monitoring of such centers and information sharing.
Conclusion — what next
This case illustrates how tools of “soft power” can turn into mechanisms for data collection and influence. For Ukraine and European partners it is important not only to record isolated incidents but to create a systemic approach: audits of financing, protection of refugees’ confidentiality and public-awareness work within communities. The question remains open: will coordination between states and communities be sufficient to minimize these risks and preserve the safety of people who fled the war?
Sources: LIGA.net (report from Brussels), comments by Ringo Ringvee (Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs), a source from the SZR, open data regarding Vadym Novynskyi.
