- MOSCOW: “The image of Olga Misik, 17, a pro-democracy demonstrator single-handedly defying Vladimir Putin’s security forces, looks set to become one of the most powerful symbols of resistance …”
- Дружелюбная девушка, читающая Конституцию ОМОНу
 |
| “The teenager, whose own father is a supporter of Mr Putin, was allowed to walk away after the reading, but was later arrested by police as she walked to a subway station.” |
__________
Friday
16. August
__________
Helme tried to fire the police chief by overstepping his authority
(Postimees)
“The minister of the interior’s much unexpected attempt yesterday to dismiss by overstepping his authority Elmar Vaher, the director general of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), turned into a total confusion by the evening, full of loud and contradictory statements.”
https://news.postimees.ee/6755419/helme-tried-to-fire-the-police-chief-by-overstepping-his-authority
Helmetega kohtunud Jüri Ratas: see oli lubamatu tegu, mis ei tohi korduda
(Postimees | Delfi)
“Täna õhtul siseminister Mart Helme ja rahandusminister Martin Helmega kohtunud peaminister Jüri Ratas teatas, et politsei- ja piirivalveameti peadirektori Elmar Vaheri tagandamiskatse oli lubamatu tegu, kuid praeguseks on olukord rahunenud.”
—
Bloomberg: Estonia Government Nears Collapse After Nationalist Party Targets Police Chief
(Bloomberg)
“A botched attempt by a nationalist party to oust the head of police has pushed Estonia’s squabbling government to the brink of collapse.“
—
“PM says finance chief exceeded authority, vows ‘rule of law’.”
President Kaljulaid calls prime minister for crisis meeting
(ERR)
“The president wishes to be up to speed on developments which have seen interior minister Mart Helme (EKRE) demand Vaher's resignation, while the prime minister has expressed confidence in the PPA chief.”
Estonia on list of countries most at risk of a future water crisis
(Axios | World Resources Institute)
“17 countries use more than 80% of their available water supplies every year, meaning droughts or increased water demand for agriculture and growing cities could leave them at risk of crisis.”
—
EU Report:
The Drug Problem In Estonia
(European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction)
“This report presents the top-level overview of the drug phenomenon in Estonia, covering drug supply, use and public health problems as well as drug policy and responses.”
—
NATO’s Navies Need Wargaming
(War on the Rocks)
“NATO’s navies should draw a lesson from history and begin wargaming for a potential future European conflict now. … The Baltic and Black Seas, in particular, are a nightmare for anything larger than a corvette due to the seas’ small sizes and Russian sensor and weapon coverage. However, recent articles have pushed against the idea that Russia has achieved something close to sea denial. These commentaries argue that while NATO should gird itself for a tough fight in the Baltic Sea, the task is not as difficult as imagined, and certainly not impossible.”
A Fragmented Fleet: Russian Navy’s limited prospects for the future
(Riddle)
“… Russian naval forces are divided into 4 fleets: the North, Pacific, Baltic, and Black Seas, as well as a separate Caspian flotilla. This greatly reduces the possibilities of concentrating them together and objectively limits Russia’s combat potential at sea. As a result, in developing its Navy, Moscow is forced to work based on the assumption of its ‘fragmentation’ and limited production capabilities.”
NATO Says Russian Su-27 Escort Jets Had No Flight Plans, Turned Off Transponders
(RFERL)
“NATO has provided further details on an incident that occurred over the Baltic Sea a day ago, saying alliance warplanes approached two Russian Su-27 escort jets that were flying without a flight plan and with their transponders shut off. … Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed two of its Su-27s forced away a NATO F-18 jet after it approached an aircraft carrying Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over international waters.”
Russian helicopter base on Hogland island poses no direct threat to Estonia says Ministry of Defense
(ERR)
“The new military facility, which can handle five helicopters at a time, is said to be able to receive all types of transport and attack helicopters used in Russia’s western military region.”
The Mi-28NM Havoc “Night Superhunter” Helicopter
(National Interest)
“The 9-ton Mi-28NM has a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), a range of 450 kilometers (280 miles), and can carry 2,300 kilograms (5,100 pounds) of ordnance, according to Izvestia. Armament includes a 30-millimeter cannon, 9M120 Ataka anti-tank missiles, and rocket pods.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russia-has-dangerous-mi-28nm-havoc-“night-superhunter”-helicopter-70751
Putin the Great: Russia’s Imperial Impostor
by Susan B. Glasser - Foreign Affairs
“On January 27, 2018, Vladimir Putin became the longest-serving leader of Russia since Joseph Stalin. There were no parades or fireworks, no embarrassingly gilded statues unveiled or unseemly displays of nuclear missiles in Red Square. After all, Putin did not want to be compared with Leonid Brezhnev …”
Unexploded WWII bomb in Kremlin
(Euronews)
“The bomb was discovered during construction work … The Kremlin was targeted by German bombers eight times during WWII. The first bombing took place on the night of July 22, 1941 …”
Ultra-conservative former US presidential candidates visit Estonia
(Estonian World)
“Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, quietly visited Estonia in August; there is no information on why and whether they had any official meetings with their likeminded politicians in Estonia.”
__________
Thursday
15. August
__________
The Forest Brothers v. Wikipedia
(The Lithuanian Tribune)
“The State Security Department of Lithuania rates the discrediting of Freedom fighter movement and the distortion of historical facts as a threat to national security. … It seems derogation of Lithuanian Freedom fighters will continue to be actively used by Russia to fuel strife within societies of the Baltic States. In the attempts to discredit the most famous Freedom fighters and resistance figures genuine and fake aspects of the Holocaust in Lithuania are also used to deepen discords within the society and get wider international attention.”
One million EU citizens granted right to reside in UK after Brexit
(Politico-Europe)
“The bad side that is that of course the majority still haven’t done it and, in my experience talking with EU nationals, some of them don’t appreciate the significance of having to do it.” - Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law and employment law at the University of Cambridge.
Baltic Prime Ministers to mark Baltic Way 30th anniversary in Rīga
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“The events of 23 August 1989 known as the Baltic Way were the decisive contribution of Baltic civic society in its non-violent effort to restore the independence of the three countries which were under continuous occupation since 1940.”
__________
Wednesday
14. August
__________
Kuidas panna kinni Baltnews ja Sputnik
(Propastop)
How to close down Baltnews and Sputnik
(Propastop)
NATO ei teadnud, et tuvastatud lennukis oli Vene kaitseminister
(Postimees)
“NATO ei teadnud, et tuvastatud lennukis oli Vene kaitseminister
NATO-l puudub teave, kes viibis lennukis, mida teisipäeval Läänemere kohal tuvastasid alliansi õhuturbemissiooni hävitajad, ütles Interfaxile teisipäeval organisatsiooni ametnik.”
NATO: Vene hävitaja lähenes ohtlikult Hispaania sõjalennukile
(Postimees)
Arvamus: Kliimadebatt globaalkapitalismi tõmbetuules
(ERR)
“Kui eesmärk on kliimaaktiviste diskrediteerida ja see eesmärk pühendab abinõu, siis marksismi silt on just asi, mis peaks enamikul eestlastest punase tule põlema lööma …”
Inside Latvia's VIP Nuclear Bunker
(RFERL)
“The Ligatne Sanatorium, about 75 kilometers from the capital, Riga, was completed in 1982 for the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic’s top communist leaders. … But after the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991, Latvian locals wandering around the newly unguarded grounds noticed there was something strange about Ligatne. Some infrastructure seemed unusually heavy duty – almost military grade. …”
Russian Scientists Face Curbs on Meetings with Foreigners
(VOA)
“Russian scientists are raising the alarm about new Soviet-style restrictions on interactions with foreign colleagues. The science newspaper Troitsky Variant on Tuesday published a copy of a recent Russian Education Ministry decree that introduces a broad range of restrictions on meetings and communication between employees of state-owned think tanks and institutes and foreign nationals.”
__________
Tuesday
13. August
__________
In the Depths of Siberia, an Island of Estonian Culture Survives
by Paul Goble
“Six hundred kilometers from Krasnoyarsk is the village of Verkhny Suetuk, where to this day some 200 Estonians continue to speak their language, maintain their culture, and keep alive the memory of all those in their community who suffered under Soviet rule.”
Estonia demands more details on planned Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel
By Ott Ummelas - Bloomberg
““We need a clear understanding of where the money is coming from and in what amount,” Estonian Economy Minister Taavi Aas said in an interview. “Where are the guarantees that it will be completed? The developer hasn’t been able to respond how it’s estimated the volume of people that will be traveling through there.”
Opinion: Let China Build The Longest Undersea Rail Tunnel
(Bloomberg)
“An ambitious project to build the longest undersea rail tunnel in the world between Helsinki and Tallinn is being held up by the Estonian government over worries about the plan and where the money is coming from. It should let the life-changing link go ahead, even if its Chinese funding looks suspicious.”
Finland, the new enemy of Hungary
(Helsinki Times)
“The far-right government of Hungary has launched further verbal attacks on Finland, continuing months of hostile language from the Orban administration in response to Finland's strong stance against Hungary's clampdown on civil liberties and an escalating corruption situation.”
—
Estonia will not recognize Russian passports issued to Donbas residents
(MENAFN - Dubai)
Interactive Map:
Demographics in Europe
(Zeit)
“Our map shows the latest European population developments. It shows which regions have grown or lost inhabitants over the past six years. The more intense the shade of red in a region, the more inhabitants it has gained, whether by people moving in or by birth. The more intense the blue, the more inhabitants the area has lost.“
Opinion: Russia’s protests continue to grow - a major warning to Putin
(Washington Post)
“What first brought Muscovites to the streets was the authorities’ decision to block opposition candidates from September’s election for the city legislature. As so often happens, though, the movement has outgrown its original trigger. The protesters’ grievance with the Kremlin is no longer just about ballot access. They are rejecting a corrupt and outdated political system that denies citizens their voice and their very dignity.”
Many Now Worried Putin No Longer Seems to Know What to Do Next
(Window on Eurasia)
“For the last two weekends while protests roiled his capital, Vladimir Putin “recused” himself from his duties by going on vacation, first in a bathysphere and then at a biker show, unwittingly sending a message not that he has everything under control but that he has no idea what to do, according to ‘The Forbidden Opinion’ telegram channel.”
The Moscow Protests Explained
(Huffington Post - UK)
“Brute force is one of the few options left for Vladimir Putin.”
Opinion: Russia’s Opposition Has a Long Way to Go
by Mark Galeotti - Moscow Times
“The security forces are disciplined and show no signs yet of being unwilling to play their role in the drama of repression. As for the economy, it is sluggish but not in crisis.”
What's Next After Two Weeks of Protests in Moscow?
by Edward Lucas - CEPA
“They are brave. Their foes are brutal cowards. And we are helpless.”
Viral clip of Russian policeman punching woman sparks outrage
(Deutsche Welle)
“In an interview with the Mediazona website, the woman, Daria Sosnovskaya, said she was dragged away by police for protesting the detention of a man with a disability. … an officer is seen punching Sosnovskaya in the stomach as officers dragged her to a police vehicle.”
Police arrested 1,400 at the pro-democracy rally in Moscow
(Christian Science Monitor)
Putin’s Pesky Millennial Protesters
(Meduza)
“What makes today's protesters in Moscow something new for Russia.”
What are Moscow’s protesters supposed to be guilty of?
(Riddle)
“So far, criminal cases have been launched under the following articles of Russia’s Criminal Code: Article 318 (on the use of violence against state officials), Article 212 (on mass disorder), and Article 141 (on obstructing the realisation of electoral rights or the work of electoral commissions.) The first two articles are not newcomers in this context; they have been applied against protesters on several occasions. But to invoke Article 141 against protesters demanding free and fair elections seems exotic, if not absurd.”
Protests Expose Russia’s Regime Rivalry
(Carnegie Moscow)
“Russia’s government agencies are so busy competing with one another and presenting themselves in a good light to the Kremlin that they are failing to deal with the new street protests.”
__________
Monday
12. August
__________
The Rise of Right-Wing Populists in Estonia
by Viljar Veebel - FPRI
“For nearly two decades, a liberal social consensus existed: with each year of independence, Estonians expected that their civil society and democratic institutions would grow ever stronger. Then, an unexpected change occurred in 2014-15 fracturing this flawless image. A previously marginal anti-European populist party, the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE), started gaining popularity. In 2010, support for EKRE stood around 2-3%. By July 2019, it was around 20%. There are many reasons for this dramatic arise.”
September will decide the fate of Ratas’ government
(Postimees - 6. August)
“Minister of State Administration Jaak Aab said in a radio interview to Äripäev that if the embarrassment caused by scandals will continue, essentially good cooperation might not be sufficient. … The question is where the prime minister’s party would draw the line. In fact, the Center Party just had a perfect opportunity for breaking up the coalition. Nothing would have been more self-evident for a party born in the wind of the “singing revolution” to state that having a coalition partner term the epoch as “mass hysteria” is quite unacceptable and no further cooperation is possible. Yet the cooperation continues.”
The Global Machine Behind the Rise of Far-Right Nationalism
(New York Times)
“Sweden was long seen as a progressive utopia. Then came waves of immigrants — and the forces of populism at home and abroad.”
NATO general: battalions in the Baltics developing like ‘three puddles’
(Postimees)
“General James Everard, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe … borrowed the parallel with puddles from the first Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Bernard Montgomery, who was worried in the 1950s that instead of a sea of unity the West had approximately thirty political puddles.”
Plaque by plaque, Lithuania confronts its wartime past
(Politico-Europe)
“The 20th century was a complicated period of Lithuanian history.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/wwii-lithuania-history-soviet-occupation-confrontation-wartime-past/
Baltic States Increase Efforts to Identify Russian Spies
(VOA - 9. Aug.)
“Security chiefs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fear the Kremlin has increased recruitment not only of "assets" tasked with engaging in the classic spying activity of gathering sensitive information, but also possibly to lay the groundwork for sabotage and subversion and to assist in so-called ‘Russian influence activities.’.”
A Missile Explosion, a Radiation Spike, and Kremlin Secrecy
by Anna Nemtsova - The Daily Beast
“Not much has changed in Russia since Soviet authorities hid the truth about the nuclear catastrophe in Chernobyl more than three decades ago. At the time, Soviet military commanders, KGB generals, and Communist Party leaders were terrified they’d get sacked or end up in the Gulag if the truth came out, so they preferred to lie to the public, delaying the evacuation when radiation equivalent of 500 Hiroshima bombs was released into the atmosphere.”
—
“Today, it seems the generals of President Vladimir Putin’s Russia have not learned the dangers of such deceptions: On Thursday the government’s news agency TASS published false reports by the Ministry of Defense about a “normal radioactive level” in the Arkhangelsk region, while Geiger counters indicated a far different picture. …”
Putin began by embracing the west. Now, he wants revenge.
(The Guardian)
“There’s little hope of an improvement in relations so long as the Russian president’s 20-year reign continues.”
Female Face of the GULAG Must Never Be Forgotten
by Paul Goble
Honoring Stalin: The Comeback of a Soviet Dictator
(Spiegel)
“Why are people honoring a mass killer?”
___________
_______
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