The Russian Orthodox Church has rapidly expanded its presence across Africa, establishing more than 350 parishes in 32 countries over the past four years, according to a report by UNITED24 Media.
The expansion has raised questions about the relationship between Moscow's religious outreach and its growing military and political influence on the continent.
According to the report, the Russian Orthodox Church's presence in sub-Saharan Africa has grown from a single parish to more than 350, marking a substantial increase in its religious infrastructure.
The expansion has also involved the transfer of clergy previously affiliated with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria, which has historically exercised ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Orthodox communities across Africa.
The Russian Church's activities have attracted scrutiny from human rights organisations over allegations that religious networks could be used to facilitate the recruitment of African nationals for Russia's military operations.
According to UNITED24 Media, rights groups have raised concerns about cases in which African nationals were allegedly attracted by promises of employment or educational opportunities before becoming involved in Russian military service.
However, the report does not establish that the Russian Orthodox Church itself organised such recruitment.
The Church has rejected the allegations, stating: “We don’t recruit Africans for military service.”
Concerns have also emerged over the geographical overlap between the Church's activities and Russia's military presence in Africa.
According to the report, the Russian Orthodox Church has consecrated chapels at facilities used by Africa Corps, the Russian military formation involved in operations on the continent.
The Church's missionary activities have also received coverage from African Initiative, a media organisation reported to have connections with networks associated with the former Wagner private military group.
These developments have prompted questions about whether Russia's religious, military and information activities form part of a broader effort to strengthen Moscow's influence across African countries.
UNITED24 Media characterises the expansion as an example of Russia's use of religious institutions as instruments of soft power, arguing that cultural and media initiatives increasingly accompany Moscow's security partnerships on the continent.
The Russian Orthodox Church, meanwhile, maintains that its activities are religious in nature and denies involvement in military recruitment.
The reported expansion illustrates the growing presence of Russian religious institutions in Africa, although the extent to which their operations are coordinated with Moscow's military and political objectives remains a matter of scrutiny.