The Kremlin is using the nuns of Estonia’s Pühtitsa Convent of the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool of hybrid warfare against the West, according to Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior, The Telegraph reports. 

The convent, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, has refused to sever ties with Patriarch Kirill, citing canonical law as justification.

However, Estonian government official Martin Tulit states this is merely a cover.

“The convent should be seen not simply as a religious institution, but also as a symbol of the Russki Mir ideology on Estonian soil – an ideology promoted by the Russian state and the Moscow Patriarchate that blends religion, nationalism, and imperial nostalgia,” says Martin Tulit, a senior Estonian government official. 

The head of the convent, Abbess Filareta Kalatšova, was personally appointed by Patriarch Kirill in 2011. Since then, she has actively promoted narratives aligned with the Kremlin’s interpretation of Estonian and Western history.

The monastery spreads the idea that Orthodox believers are allegedly persecuted in Europe and labels Estonia’s new law, which requires churches to cut ties with aggressor states, a violation of religious freedom.

The Estonian Interior Ministry also dismissed claims that the law is intended to shut down the convent. Earlier, the agency said that the Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox Church, which is subordinate to Russia and the Kremlin, is the biggest lever of influence in Estonia.