The Kremlin is actively using the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) as a tool of hybrid influence on the African continent, according to Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate. Yusov said that under the guise of a "spiritual mission," the ROC is building pro-Russian networks to promote Kremlin-friendly narratives. One of the key instruments of this influence is the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa — an organization established by the ROC in December 2021 in response to the recognition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine by Patriarch Theodore of Alexandria. Following this, the ROC initiated the "transfer" of clergy in several African countries under Moscow's jurisdiction, presenting it as a move to "protect the Church from schism."