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01 October, 2021

 


New findings in MS Estonia investigation - see Friday list below


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Coronavirus risk level increases to above-average in Estonia
(Valitsus.ee)
“Stenbock House, 30 September 2021: According to the COVID risk matrix, there is a high risk of the spread of the infection if the average infection rate over the preceding seven days is 600-1000 people per day. The current seven-day rate in Estonia is 625.1. This indicates that the virus is being transmitted in communities outside of outbreak sites and that there is the danger of it becoming very widespread.”





COVID in the Baltics 
- 730 in Estonia  âŹ†ïž  (282 on 13. August)
- 1,127 in Latvia âŹ†ïž (127 on 13. August)
- 1,970 in Lithuania âŹ†ïž (548 on 13. August)
(BNN)








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- Friday 1. October 2021


Russia’s Zapad-2021 Exercise
Report by Mason Clark and George Barros, ISW
“Russia and Belarus conducted a joint strategic exercise September 10.- 16. that provides essential insight into the evolving capabilities of the Russian and Belarusian militaries. The exercise advanced the Kremlin's ongoing campaign to cement its control of the Belarusian military.”





MS Estonia uuringumeeskond avastas laevakeres kolmanda augu
(Postimees - 30. Sept.)
“Kui viimastel aastatel on ilmsiks tulnud, et Estonia laevavraki paremas pardas on kaks suurt auku, siis eile öösel avastas eraalgatuslik uuringumeeskond veel kolmandagi augu.”






New official footage of hole in sunken Estonia reveals ‘surprising discovery’
(Radio Sweden - 27. Sept.)
“The classified film taken by the accident investigation authorities of Sweden and Estonia clearly shows how pieces of the ferry's steel structure are bent outwards from the hull.”



MS Estonia: New discoveries place a question mark on official disaster report
By Silver Tambur, Estonian World - 28. Sept.
“An independent Swedish research group, called Fokus Estonia, on 28 September presented its study into the disaster. According to the study, MS Estonia could have sunk after suffering an explosion that tore the ferry’s bow visor off. The group’s experts examined MS Estonia’s recovered bow visor – stored at the Muskö Naval Base near Stockholm – and claimed that a piece of the visor’s metal they tested had detectable traces of temperature, which had to reach at least 1,200 degrees Celsius (2,200 degrees Fahrenheit). This indicates an explosion, the group said.”







MS Estonia: Leidsime suviseid vrakiuuringuid seganud signaali allika
(Postimees - 30. Sept.)
“Estonia vraki ĂŒmbrusest objekte otsima tulnud hĂŒdrograaf Peeter Ude pole leidnud veel merekonteinereid, mida arvas seal olevat. KĂŒll aga sattus tema juhtimisel allveerobot peale kolmele eriskummalisele metallkonstruktsioonile, mille otsas paistis monitorisilma jĂ€rgi olevat vĂ€ike majakatorni meenutav traadist kate. Need asuvad vrakist umbes 100 meetri kaugusel, pĂ”hja pool. Selge on see, et tegu on inimese kĂ€e lĂ€bi sinna saanud objektidega – just sellistega, mida ekspeditsiooni juht Margus Kurm lubas otsida ja siis uurida. EesmĂ€rgiga mĂ”ista, kas mĂ”ni neist vĂ”ib olla seotud Estonia hukuga.”




Rail Balticuks on puudu 400 miljonit, projekt lĂŒkkub neli aastat edasi
(ERR)
“Lisavajadus 400 miljoni jĂ€rele on meil kuni aastani 2030. Aga ma ei vĂ”taks seda 400 tĂ€iesti absoluutsena. Kas aastal 2030 on sellest saanud 300 miljonit vĂ”i 500 miljonit, on tĂ€na vĂ€ga raske ennustada.” - Majandus- ja taristuminister Taavi Aas





Rail Baltic completion delayed until 2030
(Euractiv | ERR | BNN | Baltic Times)
“
 reasons for delaying the project include the design of the main route. The Estonian Supreme Court annulled the original county plan, and a new version is expected before the end of the year. Since the works started, environmental issues have also become more critical. According to Tonu Grunberg, the chairman of the management board of Rail Baltic Estonia, speaking to the Baltic Times, the best solutions for environmental matters are now being considered.”
—
“Making the situation more complex is that the countries involved are not making progress in a synchronised fashion. While Latvians and Lithuanians are moving quicker, Riga has a new terminal while Estonia deals with procurements. But questions about financing also remain.”








Lukashenka Vows To Punish Critics Of KGB Officer Killed In 'Shoot-Out'
(RFERL | BBC)
“Human rights group Viasna96 said mass detentions began on Wednesday in reaction to social media posts about the shooting. They continued on Thursday and the Belarusian leader said on Friday that the number in custody was now in the hundreds.”
—
“
 those arrested face charges of insulting government officials and inciting social hatred, which carry sentences of up to 12 years in prison.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-lukashenka-shootout-punish-critics/31487915.html
—



Europe’s hopes of renewed Western alliance have not been met
(Politico-EU)
“This is not the Joe Biden that Europe wanted. 
 What EU leaders expected was the Biden they had taken pictures with on his countless visits overseas, and who regularly attended the annual Munich Security Conference. The transatlanticist Biden. The Europeanist Biden. The mulitateralist Biden.”
-
“Biden closed out his first high-level U.N. General Assembly week by assembling the leaders of “the Quad” — Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. â€” at the White House. By showcasing his focus on Asia, and excluding the Europeans, Biden made it abundantly clear that rather than leading a rejuvenated Western alliance, with Berlin, Paris and Brussels as major partners, he plans to lead smaller, regional alliances focused on U.S. interests.”








- Thursday 30. Sept. 2021


Presidendi otsevalimised vÔib unustada. Parteid loodavad siiski peagi uues korras kokku leppida
(Eesti PĂ€evaleht - paywall)
“Keskerakond, EKRE ja sots Raimond Kaljulaid esitasid riigikogus presidendi otsevalimiste kehtestamise ettepaneku.”



Tori hobust varitseb oht: Eesti aretajad ei jaksa karjasid ĂŒleval pidada
(ERR)
“Eestis aretatud tori hobust on kasvatatud juba sajand. Paraku hakkab nende tĂ”ubaas jĂ€rjest ahenema, sest kasvatajad ei suuda enam suuri karjasid ĂŒleval pidada.”



Eesti kalevipojad rÀndasid Soome ka tuhatkond aastat tagasi
(Novaator)
“Eestlaste ja soomlaste geenid viitavad, et kaks rahvast lahknesid teineteisest umbes tuhat aastat tagasi. Nii nagu tĂ€napĂ€eva eestlasedki, rĂ€ndasid ka muistsed kalevipojad toona ĂŒle lahe LĂ”una-Soome paremat elu otsima.”





Poland illegally pushed migrants back into Belarus, claims Amnesty Int'l
(Reuters | Euronews)
“Amnesty International said that using satellite imagery from Aug. 18 it was able to detect the movement of these migrants from Polish territory back into Belarusian territory, shedding new light on their case, which has been difficult for NGOs and media to cover amid an ongoing Polish state of emergency along the border. A Polish government spokesman and the interior ministry did not reply to a request for comment.”
—







EU seeks to tighten Belarus visa rules amid growing migrant crisis
(The Guardian)
“Neighbouring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have declared states of emergency after a sharp increase in arrivals at their borders with Belarus, accusing the country’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, of an act of “hybrid warfare” in seeking to orchestrate a EU migrant crisis.”







Belarus targets Helsinki Committee, country’s oldest human rights group
(LRT)
“The move is part of wider effort by Belarusian authorities to silence all independent or critical voices in the country.”





- Wednesday 29. Sept. 2021


The Baltic Sea is reportedly one of the most polluted bodies of water on Earth
(Euronews)
 â€Š the positive news is that in the past 30 years, "nutrient pollution in the Baltic Sea has been reduced by roughly 50%." The main focus now has changed from nutrients to dangerous substances, marine litter, drug residues, shipping and alien species.”








Eesti saaks olla Euroopa esimene Huawei-vaba riik
(ERR)
“Eesti saaks olla Euroopa esimene Huawei-vaba riik, eeskujuks teistele nii ĂŒhiste julgeolekueesmĂ€rkide tĂ€itmisel kui ka koostöös turuosalistega. See oleks kĂ”ige vĂ”imsam viis nĂ€idata liitlastele, et Eesti suhtub tĂ”siselt Eesti ja USA vahel 2019 allkirjastatud 5G-memorandumisse.”



Parnu airport to reopen
(Baltic Times)
“Flights between Parnu and the island of Ruhnu will resume at the beginning of October. 
 the runway, which is now 1,970 by 30 meters, was reconstructed, taxiways were widened, the aircraft apron was reconstructed, an automatic weather monitoring system was installed, the airport's lighting system was upgraded and a new maintenance and rescue equipment hangar was built.”



‘It’s Unclear That Europe is Defensible’
(CEPA)
“The single greatest threat to NATO is “a two-pronged war” in which the United States would be preoccupied by an attack from China in the Asia-Pacific, which would deprive Europe of US support and leave it vulnerable to an attack from Russia.”
—
“Unless Europe can be brought to a state of greater defensibility by its own arms, then it is not clear Europe can be defended at all by the United States in a major crisis given the fact of China.”
https://cepa.org/unclear-europe-is-defensible-without-better-forces/










- Tuesday 28. Sept. 2021


Eesti mÔtleb andmesaatkonna rajamisele ka vÀljapoole Euroopat
(ERR - 14. Sept.)
“Eesti varundab alates 2019. aastast riiklikult olulisi andmekogusid Luksemburgis asuvas andmesaatkonnas, kuid nĂŒĂŒd mĂ”eldakse sarnase andmelao rajamisele ka Euroopast vĂ€ljapoole.”
—
"Luksemburg asub sarnaselt Eestile Euroopas ja kui peaks toimuma mĂ”ni ĂŒle-euroopaline kriisiolukord, siis annaks mĂ”nes muus riigis asuv andmesaatkond meie digiteenuste toimepidevusele tĂ€iendava kindluse.”



How Estonia Created Trust in Its Digital-Forward Government
(Security Intelligence)
“Building or maintaining digital services cannot happen without trust in the system.”



Norway has one of the world's most ambitious climate change targets
(PRI)
“But it's also a major oil producer and exporter. This contradiction became a key issue during the country's elections this week. Based on the results, it isn't likely to be fully resolved soon.”








- Monday 27. Sept. 2021


75 protsenti inimestest leiab, et metsa raiutakse liiga palju
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Enamuse poolehoid ei tĂ€henda automaatselt, et enamusel on alati Ă”igus, aga antud juhul on tĂ€helepanuvÀÀrne, et raiemahu vĂ€hendamist, mida nĂ”uab EL kliimapakett ja meie ökoloogid, toetab valdav osa elanikkonnast, tĂ€hendas mĂ”lemad kĂŒsitlused tellinud Riigikogu keskkonnakomisjoni liige Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE). “Et ĂŒlekaalukat avalikku toetust ellu viia, selleks puudub hetkel vaid poliitline tahe.”




European Commission green-lights Estonia's billion-euro recovery plan
(ERR)
“The funding is to be spent on digital and environmental projects in-line with the European Union's green transition plans.”






Finns begin to rediscover their thirst for Baltic booze cruises to Tallinn
(Euronews)
“Only a two-hour ferry trip away from Helsinki, Estonia's capital Tallinn tempts with well-stocked and cheap booze shops right on the harbour. A one-way trip from Helsinki to Tallinn typically costs between 10 and 30 euros, depending on the vessel, the type of the trip and the time of the day. 
 Now, the traffic over the Gulf of Finland seems to be slowly picking up, as fully vaccinated Finns and those with a negative COVID-19 test result are free to cross the borders to the Baltic countries again.”



Estonia to extend the defense forces' unmanned airborne vehicle team mission in Lithuania
(ERR)
“Estonia, together with other states and allies of the European Union, has consistently supported Lithuania in responding to the hybrid attack organized by Lukashenko's regime. We will also stand with Lithuania in the future," Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said.”



Navalny Associate Lyubov Sobol In Estonia After Fleeing Russia
(RFERL - 22. Sept)
“Sobol, a close associate of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, arrived in Estonia in August, Eesti Ekspress reported on September 21, after she was found guilty for allegedly violating coronavirus protocols with her calls for people to rally in support of the Kremlin critic. She was sentenced to 18 months of parole-like limits on her freedom. 
”



Lithuania is being bullied by China. The EU and NATO should push back
(Foreign Policy - Opinion)
“Lithuania has joined the growing list of countries around the globe that have been subject to Chinese coercion. It’s time for the trans-Atlantic partners to respond with a policy akin to NATO’s Article 5 common defense commitment. Call it “coercion against one is coercion against all.”



Europeans Want to Stay Out of the New Washington-Beijing Cold War
(Foreign Policy)
“The new Indo-Pacific security alliance dubbed AUKUS—announced last week among the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia—is a clear sign of a new cold war, pitting the free world against an axis of authoritarianism centered on China. As in the last cold war, the democracies of Europe are coordinating their efforts in response to the confrontation. This time, however, Europeans’ priority seems to be to stay out of it.”



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