Sweden Considers Expropriating Orthodox Church over Suspected Russian Ties

Authorities in the city of Västerås, Sweden, may forcibly purchase the building of an Orthodox church located near the local airport. The proposal was made by the Moderate Coalition Party, currently in power. This was reported by the Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

According to the report, the initiative has already been submitted to the Västerås municipal council. A final decision is expected at the end of May. If approved at the local level, the issue will be forwarded to the government. Should the proposal be supported, the church owner would be required to sell the property at market value, along with an additional compensation of 25–30%.

The head of the municipal council, Staffan Jansson, stated that there have been no similar precedents in the city before. Moderate Party representative Elisabeth Unell explained that the issue arose due to the building’s proximity to a strategic site — the airport.

The Orthodox church in Västerås was opened in November 2023. That same year, Swedish media reported that the construction was funded by the Russian state corporation Rosatom, which allegedly allocated 35 million Swedish kronor (approximately 3.6 million USD). Representatives of the Orthodox community deny receiving any funds from Russia.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Security Service suggested that some individuals associated with the church may have had contact with Russian intelligence agents.

It is worth recalling that the Czech Security Service has stated that gatherings of Russian operatives take place in the country under the cover of the Russian Orthodox Church. One such “secret meeting,” according to Czech intelligence officials, occurred in the city of Karlovy Vary, based at a local ROC parish.