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Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing examines the Russian Orthodox Church’s historic devolution from a church to a mere peddler of political power as a state intelligence instrument. Today’s Russian Orthodox Church seeks to emerge as the most consequential syndicate of social influence across Europe in service to Vladimir Putin’s quest for empire.
The Moscow Patriarchate’s breach of Orthodox unity over the reemergence of an autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch prioritizes Russian nationalism at the expense of traditional Christian values. The reasoning is neither ecclesial nor theological but a brazen attempt to prolong Russia’s social suzerainty over its neighbors and impose a European submission to the Russkiy Mir. Patriarch Kirill’s intention is to displace Constantinople as the centre of Orthodoxy and finally establish Moscow as the ‘New Rome’. Moscow’s geopolitical proposition is pregnant with peril. Moscow has the audacity to plead religious persecution by undermining their neighbors’ right to control their Orthodox churches while simultaneously banning the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Russian occupied territories. An inescapable conclusion emerges from it all: The Russian Orthodox Church is a potent and pernicious threat to European cohesion, security, and democracy.
micealohurley@gmail.com –
The Russian aggression against Ukraine is far from being unprecedented. Rather, it is the latest in a long series of acts of aggression and coercion that stretch back to the Middle Ages. Vladimir Putin frequently invokes this deep historical narrative to justify his war against Ukraine.
This book critically examines and deconstructs the historical mythology that fuels and legitimises Russia’s war narrative. It traces these myths back to their medieval roots, with particular attention to their religious dimensions. Approaching the subject from a religious perspective, the book reveals how spiritual and historical narratives are intertwined in the Russian propaganda machine.
For anyone seeking to understand the deeper, more nuanced layers of Russian propaganda and its efforts to rationalise war, this book is essential reading. Without grasping these subtleties, one cannot fully comprehend the motivations behind Russia’s militaristic posture.
Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, Ph.D.
Sankt Ignatios Folkhögskola, Stockholm
To truly understand the underpinnings of today’s Russia and its toxic rulers, it is essential to explore the roots of a pillar of this autocracy as constructed by Vladimir Putin—the Russian Orthodox Church. And in our search for how deeply implanted it is in this nation and its people, there is no more essential and riveting a work than Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: The Russian Orthodox Church’s Threat to European Security and Democracy. Miceál O’Hurley and his writing partner Oksana Shadrina have provided us with a brilliantly conceived roadmap through this dark and arcane world to a threat that stretches far beyond the immediate confines of the Russian Orthodox Church, or for that matter its Ukrainian homologue, to the boundaries of Europe and even further. Its roots are long and deep.
O’Hurley and Shadrina bring to their work a profound understanding of and sensibility to the history that has shaped the architecture that is today’s Orthodox Church in Russia and beyond. With Russian Orthodoxy’s efforts to co opt its Ukrainian homologue and Putin’s increasingly virulent attempts to blend religion and politics, an understanding of this complex landscape is indispensable. Start here.
David A. Andelman, former correspondent for
The New York Times and CBS News,
creator of Substack’s Andelman Unleashed
he ideological dimension of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—marked by the active collaboration of the Russian Church (Moscow Patriarchate) with the Russian Federation—remains little known in the West outside specialist academic and Orthodox church circles. O’Hurley and Shadrina explore how it is driven by a quasi-religious ethno-nationalist vision synthesized by Patriarch Kyrill Gundyayev and his ecclesial underlings but having deep roots in today’s Russian church and state, Vladimir Putin displays a sort of violent apocalypticism akin to that which fueled Nazism and the rise of Hitler. This volume begins the crucial task of exposing to a wider non-expert audience the two-headed monster of “Russkii Mir” and “Holy Rus’.”
This rough “beast” has not only deformed Orthodox Christianity (being a sort of “heresy”) but has also bound the Russian Church, as the largest Orthodox church in the world, to a brutal and devious regime bent on national conquest and the destruction of both the Ukrainian people and the West itself. Only when the secular West opens its eyes to the religious and historical dimensions of the war in Ukraine—and acknowledges Russian religious nationalism and fundamentalism as key motivations of contemporary Russia—will it be able to defend the democratic, humanistic, and religious ideals that underpin Europe and the West. One can only hope this awakening comes before it is to late…
Professor Brandon Gallaher
University of Exeter (UK)
When you think of the war in Ukraine, you may picture bombs, ruined cities, and the loss of life. But war is not only physical; it destroys much more than just material things. O’Hurley and Shadrina powerfully highlight the threat of a spiritual war, where even the most sacred — faith in God — is used as a weapon. It reveals just how ruthless the enemy is and helps you understand the scale of the aggression. If you understand this truth, you will have a chance to resist. Ukraine has paid a heavy price so that you can learn from its experience.
Serhii Kuzan, Chairman
Ukrainian Security & Cooperation Centre (USCC)
Russia is already at war with Europe. From sabotage in the Baltic Sea and election meddling in Moldova to the use of the Russian Orthodox Church as a tool of propaganda, aimed at undermining Europe’s democratic fabric. Drawing on original research, Miceál and Oksana show how Orthodoxy is being weaponised in modern warfare, cloaked in soft power, traditional values, and the rhetoric of human rights. They trace how Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine was preceded by a religious conquest: denying Ukrainians their right to church independence (autocephaly).
This book is a vital wake-up call to European democracies, urging them to recognise the long-ignored security threats posed by militant and nationalistic religious ideologies.
Andreja Bogdanovski, Ph.D.
Journalist & Analyst Specialising in Orthodox Affairs
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing presents a growing body of evidence that the Russian Orthodox Church and its leaders often have acted and continue to act as agents of the Russian State, advancing its imperial ambitions by spreading the Russian World (Russkiy Mir) ideology to justify Putin’s war in Ukraine. More alarmingly, the authors demonstrate that numerous parishes of the Russian Church located in other parts of the world, especially Europe, have engaged in intelligence gathering and other activities to undermine the security of their host countries. The authors persuasively argue that matters of state security should not be ignored out of the legitimate concern for religious freedom.
Paul Gavrilyuk, Ph.D., Founding President
International Orthodox Theological Association
O’Hurley and Shadrina will guide you through the pages of history rewritten by Russia, revealing real facts that are carefully hidden. The book uncovers how Moscow appropriated the legacy of Kyivan Rus’, proclaiming itself the elder brother of the Slavs.
You will immerse yourself in the deepest recesses of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has served as an instrument of propaganda and state influence since ancient times. For centuries, the ROC has been subordinated to the state — from the reforms of Peter I to playing the role of an FSB branch under the leadership of Patriarch Kirill.
Today, ROC spreads its influence over Ukraine and the entire world. Agent-priests gather intelligence data, while church structures in Russia train mercenaries and conceal secret scientific facilities, including those related to nuclear research. This book is a profound analysis of the role of the ROC in destabilizing European security and democracy.
Anna Neplii, Ukrainian Journalist
United24Media, Podul.ro, Beta News
O’Hurley and Shadrina have performed a significant service by producing a fine work of research which despite the dense topics proves an enjoyable read. Their thesis that the weaponization of faith in service to the Russian State poses a threat to European security and social cohesion is supported by evidence detailed in numerous original source citations.
Defense, security and policy analysts should take notice of ‘Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing’ because it provides context for understanding how hybrid warfare, at times being carried out by clergy on behalf of the Russian Federation security apparatus, seeks to undermine neighboring states. The surprising number of Russian Orthodox Church clergy being expelled from states across Europe based on evidence of espionage and carrying out activities that undermine domestic security and democracy demonstrates the necessity of this work.
My experiences as an intelligence operator for several years, specifically in relation to Russian adversaries, tell me about the well-executed professional work that we find described in this book. I highly recommend this book for politicians, policy makers, defense and security specialists, journalists and all people concerned about the future of the European experiment in democracy.
O’Hurley and Shadrina have given us a wake-up call. We should take it.
Dr. Knut Normann Egeland, Ph.D.
Operations Research and Force Protection (retired)
hTe timely book by Miceál O’Hurley and Oksana Shadrina reveals a truth long known to most Ukrainians: The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is not an ordinary religious organization, but a powerful instrument of the Russian security apparatus and propaganda machine.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing argues that the ROC poses a threat to European security and democracy due to a dangerous combination of religious ideology and imperial ambition. The authors scrutinize the doctrines of “Russkiy Mir” (Russian World) and “Svyataya Rus” (Holy Rus), exposing them as a justification for Russian expansionism, historical revisionism, and an “eliminationist policy towards its neighbors’ identities.” The ROC’s role in spying, subversion, and justifying Russian aggression is exposed, including Patriarch Kirill’s declaration of the invasion of Ukraine as a “Holy War.”
The book is an essential read to those who would like to understand how Russia abuses religious freedom, a fundamental European value, as a cover for its covert malign activities and why ROC is an essential element of Russian war against Ukraine and wider Europe.
Yuliya Kazdobina, Senior Fellow
Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”
The Kremlin’s most dangerous weapon is not always a missile. Sometimes it wears a cassock.
In Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, Miceál O’Hurley and Oksana Shadrina show what many have seen for years: the Russian Orthodox Church functions as a Kremlin instrument, built for intelligence, influence, and political warfare. It launders Moscow’s ambitions in the language of faith and tradition.
Europe needs this book, illuminating how Moscow turns liturgy into cover for subversion and uses piety as a passport for power.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine did not begin with tanks. It began in sanctuaries, where canon law was bent to deny a nation’s right to exist. The authors trace the arc from medieval imperial myths to today’s security threat, and the conclusion is blunt. Ignore these Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing and you invite a Trojan Horse through the cathedral doors. A vital read.
Jason Jay Smart
Security Consultant Specialising in Russia
& Special Correspondent, Kyiv Post
Russia remains an imperialist state at its core, willing to sacrifice lives, resources, and freedoms to preserve its delusional vision of “greatness.” For centuries, the state has stood above the individual, demanding obedience while rewarding only the elite. In the XX century, this model started to break down – the USSR collapsed, and globalization opened Russia to world markets. However, its imperial mindset and endemic corruption never changed. Grand corruption corrodes every institution, stripping the country of the ability to modernize or innovate, precisely the requisites of dominance in the modern world. This weakness has left Russia unable to compete on equal terms, yet its desire for “great power” remained.
This contradiction has driven the Kremlin to develop a different arsenal — hybrid tactics designed to destabilize others rather than build strength at home. Cyberwarfare, propaganda, political interference, and corrosive investments all form part of this toolkit. Perhaps most insidious is the weaponization of religion. The Russian Orthodox Church has been reshaped into an instrument of state power, not a community of unity but a vehicle of influence, spreading ideology, justifying aggression, and reinforcing submission under the guise of faith.
This is the reality of Russia’s power today: a failed state with imperial delusions, too corrupt to modernize, surviving only through deception, violence, and the desecration of faith itself.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing offers a unique opportunity to learn and understand another tool in Russia’s hybrid warfare arsenal.
Mariya Chukhnova, International Security Specialist, USA
& WFUWO Representative to the UNDGC/SOC
The Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine has long ceased to be merely a religious institution. Its activities have turned into an instrument of Russia’s hybrid influence, aimed at undermining spiritual unity, fostering loyalty to the aggressor state, and justifying the war. Under the guise of pastoral work, narratives of the ‘Russian World’ are spread — narratives that sow doubt about Ukrainian statehood and devalue the struggle for independence. At a time when Ukraine resists armed aggression, such structures are no longer a matter of faith, but a matter of security. Recognizing the role and influence of the Moscow Patriarchate is therefore critically important: this is not religious competition, but a threat to national security that requires a clear response from both the state and society.
The Moscow Patriarchate has become not merely a religious institution, but a significant factor in the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Its structure is exploited by the Kremlin as a channel of propaganda, a tool to legitimize aggression, and a means of justifying violence under the guise of spiritual values. By blessing the weapons and army of the occupying state, and by spreading the ideology of the ‘Russian World,’ it effectively takes part in the war against Ukraine. This influence undermines social unity, sows division within communities, and creates additional risks for national security. Recognizing this is key to protecting the state not only on the battlefield, but also in the spiritual domain.
Vladyslav Klochkov, Major General
Commander of the Directorate Moral and Psychological Support
Armed Forces of Ukraine (2021-2024)
With Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, O’Hurley and Shadrina highlight the importance of religious values and mythos for understanding why the post-Soviet Russian state and the Russian Orthodox Church advance a civilizational type of politics that seeks to forcefully expand its neo-imperial power both in Ukraine and elsewhere. Adding to a growing interdisciplinary conversation on the importance of religion in furthering post-Soviet Russian geo-politics, O’Hurley and Shadrina offer a crucial lens through which to focus on the entanglement of Christianity, political power, and globalized projects of moralization that result in war, continued violence, and policies of social control. In doing so, they reframe the geopolitical question of Russian power through the prism of Russian Orthodox metaphysical ideology, refracting key insights into questions of religious freedom/control and political authority. A timely and essential read given the growing embrace of Russia’s illiberal and imperial politics by reactionary politicians and communities around the globe.
Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, P.h.D.
Assistant Professor of Religion and Anthropology
Northeastern University
Russia’s hybrid war is not fought solely with tanks or drones. The instrumentalization of the Orthodox Church as a psychological and propaganda weapon is part of a broader strategic offensive against Europe. Recognizing this invisible battlefield is as vital as defending our physical borders.
In Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: The Russian Orthodox Church’s Threat to European Security and Democracy, Miceál O’Hurley and Oksana Shadrina clearly demonstrate that Russia’s threat to Europe goes far beyond the military or political sphere: it is also spiritual and cultural. By turning religion into an instrument of manipulation and subversion, the Kremlin seeks to erode the very foundations of European democracy and social cohesion. To ignore this reality would be to abdicate our own security.
Fernando Figueiredo, Colonel (Ret.)
Portuguese Army
The Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine has long ceased to be merely a religious institution. Its activities have turned into an instrument of Russia’s hybrid influence, aimed at undermining spiritual unity, fostering loyalty to the aggressor state, and justifying the war. Under the guise of pastoral work, narratives of the ‘Russian World’ are spread — narratives that sow doubt about Ukrainian statehood and devalue the struggle for independence. At a time when Ukraine resists armed aggression, such structures are no longer a matter of faith, but a matter of security. Recognizing the role and influence of the Moscow Patriarchate is therefore critically important: this is not religious competition, but a threat to national security that requires a clear response from both the state and society.
The Moscow Patriarchate has become not merely a religious institution, but a significant factor in the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Its structure is exploited by the Kremlin as a channel of propaganda, a tool to legitimize aggression, and a means of justifying violence under the guise of spiritual values. By blessing the weapons and army of the occupying state, and by spreading the ideology of the ‘Russian World,’ it effectively takes part in the war against Ukraine. This influence undermines social unity, sows division within communities, and creates additional risks for national security. Recognizing this is key to protecting the state not only on the battlefield, but also in the spiritual domain.
Vladyslav Klochkov, Major General
Commander of the Directorate Moral and Psychological Support
Armed Forces of Ukraine (2021-2024)
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing demonstrates how the Kremlin has transformed the Russian Orthodox Church into one of its most effective instruments of hybrid warfare. By fusing ideology, religion, and state power, Moscow legitimises its expansionist efforts and destabilises Europe.
From the annexation of Crimea to the war in eastern Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church has provided both ideological cover and practical support, from propaganda and recruitment to acting as a channel for influence operations. As O’Hurley and Shadrina demonstrate, it now operates alongside Russia’s disinformation machine, forming part of a hybrid campaign that stretches across the EU, North America, and Africa.
Having researched Russia’s hybrid strategies for more than a decade, I see this book as a wake-up call to Western liberal democracies to recognise the Russian Orthodox Church not only as a religious institution but as an active instrument in Moscow’s hybrid warfare against European security and democracy. It is also a warning that ignoring this dimension risks underestimating one of the Kremlin’s most insidious tools, aimed at destabilising open societies from within.
Maksym Beznosiuk, MA, LLM.
Strategic Policy and Security Specialist on Russia and Ukraine
Russian aggression in Ukraine—especially its latest chapter following the full-scale invasion in February 2022—may seem to many like an isolated conflict over influence and dominance somewhere in Eastern Europe, at NATO and the EU’s doorstep. However, such a perspective completely overlooks the ideological foundations of the entire enterprise and its messianic-imperial ambitions, which are now fully incorporated into the core idea of the Russian state and culture.
In this spiritual war against Western values of plurality and democracy, the Russian Orthodox Church plays a key role. Often quietly and covertly—but unfortunately very effectively—the ROC abuses the freedom of conscience to spread the influence of Russian imperial ideology, as if it were a legitimate European spiritual tradition. In this way, Russian Orthodoxy has once again become both the bearer and co-creator of an official dictatorship.
The book Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing by Miceál O’Hurley & Oksana Shadrina is compellingly, insightfully, and comprehensively maps and describes this systematic operation of the ROC in support of Russia’s aggressive ambitions. It represents a crucial contribution to understanding the very spiritual foundations of the ideology behind Russia’s war of aggression. The publication thus opens the door to the much-needed deeper reflection on the possibilities of effective defense in the realm of modern Russian hybrid warfare.
Martin Kroupa, Chairman of the Board – Post Bellum
Member of the Presidium, Group D. – Drones Nemesis