Vladimir Putin-linked "spy nuns" have been exposed infiltrating churches across parts of Europe.
The Church of Sweden uncovered a covert fundraising operation by Belarusian nuns with ties to Russian military intelligence.
The nuns were selling small religious items across 20 Swedish churches to generate money for Mr Putin's military campaign in Ukraine.
Sisters from the St Elisabeth convent, dubbed "Z-Nuns", operated within Swedish parishes last year before their connections to pro-war activities came to light.
An investigation by The Telegraph revealed the extent of the operation, prompting Swedish church authorities to alert other religious institutions about the convent's true purpose.
The proceeds from the sales were channelled directly towards supporting Russia's war effort.
The Church of Sweden issued a stark statement explaining that the St Elisabeth sisters direct their earnings towards bolstering Russian nationalism and Moscow's aggression against Ukraine, while maintaining close connections to the GRU.
Photographs emerged showing the nuns operating in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, where they worked alongside soldiers to raise morale and were pictured dressed in military combat gear.
The relgious figures have been dubbed 'spy nuns' | TELEGRAMLATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The discovery prompted Swedish church leaders, traditionally known for their welcoming approach and community outreach, to circulate urgent warnings to Catholic churches about these so-called "spy nuns".
Michael Öjermo, rector of Täby in Sweden, accepted that he had no knowledge of the convent's background when he extended an invitation to the sisters.
He explained that his ministry had long involved engagement with Christians living under authoritarian regimes, noting that Belarus serves as a key Russian ally.
"I'm old enough to remember when ministers came from the German Democratic Republic [Soviet East Germany] if three came, two would be for real, and one would be a spy for the Stasi," he said.
The nuns were selling small religious items across 20 Swedish churches
|TELEGRAM
Kristina Smith, who heads the Church of Sweden's crisis planning unit, revealed that authorities have also cautioned the Russian Orthodox Church against renting Swedish church facilities, following discoveries that it sought access to premises near military sites.
She said: "What I understood this time, that I didn't understand before, is that they can be used as propaganda. I didn't make that conclusion before, and I see that can be a problem.
"It's a new thing for Sweden as a society, the full-scale invasion of 2022 was a rude awakening for a lot of Swedes."
Ms Smith reflected on how the nation's self-image has shifted dramatically, noting that Sweden had taken pride in two centuries without conflict and its reputation as a country others wished to treat kindly.
The nuns took their profits to fund Mr Putin's war
|REUTERS
She added: "I think it was an awakening for the entire country that that is not really the case.
"We prided ourselves on not being at war for 200 years, for being a nice country, a country that everyone wanted to be nice towards.
"But I think it was an awakening for the entire country that that is not really the case."
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