The decision to ban Kolesnikov from entering Estonia was made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Friday, January 2, according to a report by the Russian-language service of Estonian news outlet Postimees.
The ministry said Kolesnikov's ban is due to the potential threat posed to Estonia's national security. Kristian Pärt, head of the ministry's internal security department, said Kolesnikov's activities supported Russia's aggressive foreign policy and the ideology of the "Russian world," (Russkiy Mir") which is used to justify war and violence.
The ministry emphasized that the structures of the Russian Orthodox Church are systematically used by Russian intelligence services to undermine the security of other states.
Kolesnikov became the third clergyman to be banned from entering Estonia for security reasons in the past year.
The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church (formerly the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate) has not yet provided any substantive comment on the matter.