2022---russian-influence-on-the-monastic-republic-of-mount-athos | CONFIRMED - 2027 |

: In April 2022, Greece expelled 12 Russian diplomats, citing activities on Mount Athos as a primary factor in the decision.

: By October 2022, the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority launched a probe into at least 20 suspicious transfers involving hundreds of thousands of euros from Russian sources to the private bank accounts of individual monks. : In April 2022, Greece expelled 12 Russian

For decades, Russia has used Mount Athos as a cornerstone of its "sacred diplomacy," projecting soft power into the Mediterranean through the historical (the "Russian Monastery"). By early 2022, approximately 100 of the 1,500 monks on Athos were of Russian affiliation, supported by a significant flow of donations from Kremlin-linked oligarchs. Key Developments in 2022 By early 2022, approximately 100 of the 1,500

: Following the February invasion, the Greek government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate (the spiritual authority over Athos) viewed the peninsula as a potential "listening post" for Russian intelligence. : Historically the epicenter of Russian influence, it

The "spiritual cold war" on the mountain is largely divided between monasteries remaining loyal to the and those quietly aligned with Moscow.

: Historically the epicenter of Russian influence, it has been visited frequently by Vladimir Putin and is considered a de facto stronghold for Russian Orthodoxy.