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05 November, 2021

 


Russian propaganda pours into the brains of Estonian TV viewers
By Raul Ranne, Postimees
“Unlike in neighboring countries, Estonia does nothing to contain Russian propaganda in the country as relevant legislation holds no effective levers. Television service providers keep Russian national networks in their standard packages.”
—
“Watching Russian networks for extended periods of time requires nerves of steel. Estonia – and its Baltic neighbors – is treated as a small Nazi state where remaining fascists continue to organize marches unimpeded. The rhetoric still lingers. 
”



Arvamus: Ollakse ĂŒksmeelel, et propaganda levikut peab piirama
(Postimees)
“Vene propaganda leviku pidurdamiseks on LĂ€ti ja Leedu sekkunud telekomiettevĂ”tete sisuvalikusse. Eesti on seni jÀÀnud vaid majandussanktsioonide juurde, mille tĂ”ttu suleti nt siinne Sputniku haru. Ometi leidub siiani Eesti kaabel-TV edastajate pĂ”hipakettides mitmeid Vene kanaleid nagu NTV, RTR, PBK. Postimees kĂŒsis poliitikutelt, kas ja mil moel tuleks nende edastamist rohkem reguleerida?”



Sputnik Has Been (Re)Born in Estonia
(EUvsDisinfo, June 2021)
“After closing its business on 31 December 2019, Sputnik is back in Estonia. But this time, it’s different. 
 To underline the clear division between the old and new, the pro-Kremlin outlet RIA Novosti wrote: “Sputnik Meedia is not part of the Rossiya Segodnya media holding and is not associated with it through any contractual relationship. Its funding comes from independent sources.”. 
 the new office of Sputnik Meedia is located exactly where Sputnik Estonia used to be.”  [Tallinn, Paavli TĂ€nav 1.]
—
“As the Annual Review of the Estonian Internal Security Service wrote, “The content, message and design of the new portal are practically identical to those of the defunct Sputnik Estonia.”



The Black And White Worldview of a Pro-Kremlin Military Analyst
 (EUvsDisinfo - 20. Oct)
“Meet the expert: Alexander Khrolenko, Sputnik’s military analyst. He is a high-profiled man with reach and a mission: Sputnik’s most productive military analyst by far, having written more than 90 columns since the beginning of this year. Recalling for our audience where Khrolenko works: Sputnik is one of the two flagships of Russia’s multi-platform campaign to influence international public opinion, the other being RT.”
—
“According to Khrolenko, the US dominates its Eastern European allies, prepping them for use as “launch pads” for an invasion of Russia. “The Baltic states have been turned into one huge shooting range for foreign troops”, he writes. In another column, he claims that NATO membership brings no benefits for the Baltic states. Instead, it leads to “foreign exploitation and disbanding national armies”.”



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Cover Image: ‘Neeruti Manor road’

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COVID Deaths in the Baltics 
- 1,574 people have died in Estonia so far
- 3,404 people have died in Latvia 
- 6,010 people have died in Lithuania
(BNN, 4. Nov. 2021)












Everything You Need to Know About Travel to Estonia Amid COVID-19
(SchengenVisaInfo, 3. Nov)
“Since the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, the Baltic country has registered more than 196,900 infection cases and over 1,500 deaths. However, some exemptions are applied for internationals that plan to enter the Baltic country despite such figures published by WHO. At the same time, travel for unnecessary reasons, including tourism, is also permitted, provided that passengers meet specific entry rules.”







Friday 5. November 2021


JÀrvseljal kasvav 380-aastane KuningamÀnd kandideerib Euroopa aasta puu konkursil
(Rohe Geenius, 27. okt.)
“KuningamĂ€nd hakkas kasvama umbes samal ajal, kui pandi alus Tartu Ülikoolile. Looduse- ja rĂ€nnumees Hendrik Relve, kes on palju pĂ”lispuid uurinud, toob KuningamĂ€nni puhul vĂ€lja nii selle mÔÔtmed kui ka kultuurilise vÀÀrtuse. 
 Sealses pĂ”lismetsas pole tehtud ligi sada aastat ĂŒhtki raiet ega koristatud surnud puid vĂ”i tuulemurdu ning nii saab rajal liikudes aimu, milline nĂ€eb Eesti oludes vĂ€lja tĂ”eline ĂŒrgmets.”



Estonia nominates King's Pine for the European Tree of the Year competition
(ERR)
“The King's Pine is an impressive tree with a rich history located in the in JĂ€rvselja. The tree sprouted around the same time as the foundations were laid for the University of Tartu. Hendrik Relve, who has studied many indigenous trees, highlights the King Pine's dimensions and cultural value. "Currently about 380 years old, it is known to be the largest tree in Estonia in terms of volume 
” 



Estonia at the COP26 climate conference
(Postimees)
“PM Kaja Kallas managed to put Estonia on the map at several events today. COP26 is more than negotiations or speeches by leaders, it also introduces a number of initiatives. The PM participated in the creation of the new forests and land use alliance initiated by her British colleague Boris Johnson, as well as the global methane emissions event hosted by the EU and USA. Last but not least, Estonia had its own event in the pavilion area today where we talked about a new initiative as part of the UN Environmental Program that has been spearheaded by Estonia. It is called DEAL for short or Data for the Environment Alliance.” - Kaja Tael, ambassador for climate and energy policy



The Three Seas Initiative Will Reorder NATO’s Eastern Flank
(19FortyFive)
“Today, NATO’s Eastern flank countries are increasingly feeling the pressure from Moscow’s hybrid operations, while Russia’s occupation of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine impacts the alliance’s operational planning. To complicate matters, Belarus’s de facto reincorporation into Russia has been all but completed, especially in the military domain.”
—
“The Three Seas is a project launched in 2015 by Croatia and Poland and aimed at the economic and infrastructure development of twelve countries situated between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas. Currently the 3SI group consists of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania.”



Kaitseliidu suurÔppus PÔhjakonn toob kokku pea tuhat osalejat
(Postimees)
“TĂ€navune PĂ”hjakonn on suurim Ă”ppus, mida kirde maakaitseringkond on oma tegevuspiirkonnas ja vastutusalas kĂ”ikidele oma ĂŒksustele seni korraldanud. Õppus toimub 8.–17. novembrini peamiselt kaitsevĂ€e keskpolĂŒgoonil ja Rutja Ă”ppevĂ€ljakul.”



Estonian man sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to import fentanyl into the United States
(U.S. Justice Department)
“Amid Magerramov, 40, of Estonia, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to import fentanyl and carfentanil into the United States. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, the DEA’s Country Office in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Estonia Central Criminal Police, the Estonia Office of the Prosecutor General, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.”



Where the Russian Gulag Once Thrived
Project 501: The Railway of Death
By Owen Matthews, New Lines Magazine
“In 1947, Soviet state planners decided that the key to opening up the riches of the Arctic was to build a railway linking the great Siberian rivers Ob and Yenisei. Salekhard, near where Ob flows into the White Sea, was to be the starting point. The terminus was to be in Igarka, 800 miles to the northeast, on the Yenisei. Between them lay a landscape of taiga — boreal coniferous forest — and tundra, a wasteland of scrubby bushes that grow in areas where not enough daylight reaches round the curvature of the earth to sustain trees. The railway was to be built on the underlying permafrost — a layer of earth that remains frozen even in midsummer and begins between 3 and 16 feet below the topsoil. Somewhere between 80,000 and 120,000 Gulag inmates, mostly political prisoners, were loaded first onto riverboats and later trains and detailed to build Project 501. They constructed their own prison camps as they went. At least 20,000 never returned.”







Thursday 4. November 2021


KaitsevÀgi vabastas ametist 46 vaktsiinivastast teenistujat
(Postimees)
“TĂ€naseks on kaitsevĂ€eteenistusest vabastatud 46 teenistujat, kes ei soovinud esitada nĂ”utud tĂ”endit (vaktsineerimise kohta – toim),» ĂŒtles eile kaitsevĂ€e peastaabi strateegilise kommunikatsiooni osakonna pressijaoskonna ĂŒlem kapten Taavi Karotamm. «30 olid tegevvĂ€elased ja 16 tsiviilteenistujad. Teenistusest vabastati kaheksa ohvitseri.”





Jens Stoltenberg: Venemaa ei kujuta praegu Balti riikidele otsest ohtu
(ERR)
"Mida me nĂ€eme, on Venemaa kasvav kohalolek ja mĂ€rgatav Vene vĂ€gede koondamine Balti piirkonda. Sellele on NATO ka vastanud kasvava kohalolekuga piirkonnas, koos lahingugruppidega Balti riikides, koos suurema kohalolekuga Ă”huruumi valvamisel, maal ja merel.”



Juhtkiri: Poola piir on ELi piir
(Postimees)
“Olukord Poola ja Valgevene piiril on pinevamaks, kuna ööl vastu 2. novembrit tungisid ĂŒle Poola piiri automaatidega relvastatud armeevormis isikud. Migrandikriisi arenemine Poola ja Valgevene omavaheliseks kĂŒlmutatud konfliktiks on viimane, mida vaja on.”



Martina Navratilova: Anett Kontaveit vĂ”idab WTA finaalturniiri
(ERR)
"Kontaveit on viimase nelja kuu kĂ”ige kuumem mĂ€ngija. Koostöö treener Dmitri Tursunoviga on teda palju aidanud. Ta nĂ€ib olevat vabam ja ei tundu enda mĂ€ngus enam nii raamides. Nad sobivad hĂ€sti kokku. Ma arvan, et ta vĂ”idab selle turniiri," lausus karjÀÀri jooksul 18 suure slĂ€mmi turniiri vĂ”itnud Navratilova.”






Facebook is Worried About New European Rules and Fines
(Politico)
“In Brussels, officials are finishing rules that require Facebook to carry out regular independent audits of how they’re handling potentially harmful content. They also will force the company to open up its closely guarded algorithms used to promote material in people’s feeds to regulators. If the firm fails to comply, the tech giant —which recently changed its name to Meta as part of a rebranding effort — could face fines of up to six percent of its annual revenue, or tens of billions of dollars.”








Wednesday 3. November 2021

Leiti esimesena Eesti vabaduse eest langenud mehe haud
(Postimees)
“Uurimise kĂ€igus selgus, et esimene VabadussĂ”jas langenu oli hoopis Hans Kulli. Uurimise kĂ€igus sai selgeks, et esimene langenu oli hoopis Hans Kulli, kes oli samuti Omakaitse mees ning langes Eesti Vabariigi sĂŒndimise pĂ€eval VĂ”rus. Seal 24. veebruaril peetud Omakaitse ja enamlaste lahingus sai Kulli haavata. Ta suri sama pĂ€eva Ă”htupoolikul kella viie ajal VĂ”ru haiglas. 
 Kulli oli sĂŒndinud PĂ”ltsamaa lĂ€histel Pajusi vallas.”



Venemaal arreteeriti tuntud eesti soost ehitaja Juri Reiljan
(Postimees)
“Üle saja aasta tagasi Musta mere ÀÀrde vĂ€ljarĂ€nnanud eestlaste jĂ€reltulija Reiljan peeti kinni eelmisel nĂ€dalal Moskvas ning mĂ”ni pĂ€ev hiljem andis Ida-Siberi ĂŒhe suurima linna Irkutski KuibÔƥevi rajooni kohus loa vĂ”tta ta kaheks kuuks vahi alla. 
 Venemaa majandusleht Kommersant kirjutas, et 57-aastast Reiljanit kahtlustatakse seotuses 1,5 miljardi rubla (18 miljonit eurot) kadumisega, mille Venemaa Raudteed eraldas aastate jooksul Reiljani juhitud raudtee-ehitusele spetsialiseerunud ettevĂ”ttele Spetsstroi.”



Konsensusliku seksuaalsuhte vanusepiir tÔuseb ilmselt 16. eluaastani
(ERR)
“Justiitsminister Maris Lauri toob neljapĂ€eval valitsuse ette eelnĂ”u, mis tĂ”stab konsensusliku seksuaalsuhte eapiiri 16. aastale. Erandiks on nn Romeo ja Julia klausel, mis vĂ”imaldab kuni viieaastase vanusevahega paaridele seksuaalsuhteid jĂ€tkuvalt alates 14. eluaastast.”



Kallas, US President Biden discuss global challenges, defense cooperation
(ERR)
“I emphasized to President Biden that in addition to the growing threats in Asia, it is important to keep the focus on the security of Europe and especially the Baltic states - our eastern neighbor is behaving unpredictably and the direction of development is not encouraging," Kallas added.”



Finland investigating alleged aerial incursion by Estonian trainer jet
(ERR)
“Estonia's defense forces say the incident was the result of human error during a joint exercise with allied personnel, and would be the subject of investigation.”



Estonian Minister Quits Over Criticism of Unvaccinated Status
By Ott Tammik, Bloomberg
“Estonian Culture Minister Anneli Ott resigned after criticism from coalition partners that her incomplete vaccination against the coronavirus prevented her from attending public events tied to her role. Ott, until recently the only unvaccinated Estonian government minister, told reporters on Tuesday that she has now received her first dose. She also said she’s personally not against vaccines.”



Putin: Russia ‘must’ build up defenses in view of NATO moves in Baltic Sea
(AP)
“Speaking during a meeting with military officials and arms makers in the southern Russian city of Sochi, Putin specificially noted the deployment of NATO’s U.S.-led missile defense components in Eastern Europe and increasingly frequent missions by NATO ships near Russian waters in the Baltic and Black Seas.”



Sweden Extends Internal Border Security Control Another Six Months
(SchengenVisaInfo)
“The Swedish Security Service has decided not to change the assessment that the terrorist threat level remains elevated, and we make the assessment that Sweden should also retain internal border controls. Border control at internal borders can help detect potential perpetrators who intend to damage Sweden and prevent them from committing serious offences.”  - Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg




Poland says Belarus staged armed intrusion at border, summons envoy
(Reuters)
“Poland's foreign ministry said unidentified uniformed individuals armed with long guns had crossed into Polish territory from Belarus on the night of Monday, Nov. 1.”








Lithuania says its rocky ties with China are a 'wake up call' for Europe
(Reuters)
“
 calling for the European Union to be united in dealings with Beijing. "I think it is a wake up call in many ways, especially for fellow Europeans to understand that if you want to defend democracy you have to stand up for it," Lithuanian vice minister of foreign affairs Arnoldas Pranckevičius told a security forum in Washington.”








Tuesday 2. November 2021


Anett Kontaveit scoops fourth title of 2021 to secure WTA Finals spot
(Reuters | France24 | AP | NBC)
“Anett Kontaveit said greater self-belief was the foundation for her victory over Romania's Simona Halep in the final of the Transylvania Open on Sunday, which secured the eighth and final spot in the WTA Finals for the Estonian. The 25-year-old captured her fourth title of the season with the 6-2, 6-3 victory over Halep in Cluj-Napoca, also ensuring she would move into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time at number eight.”
—
"I'm still unsure of what's going on!" Kontaveit told reporters.”
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The remarkable turnaround of Anett Kontaveit
(WTA Tennis)
“Kontaveit came into the 2021 season with just one title, which she won on the grass at 2017 s'Hertogenbosch. But this season, she won four of the last seven events she played, in Cleveland, Ostrava, Moscow and Cluj-Napoca.”



Anett Kontaveit: My Story
(WTA - May 13, 2019)








Russia | Venemaa



Crimea forever a part of Russia, says President Putin
(Euronews)
“Putin marked the national Unity Day holiday with a trip to Crimea, declaring the region will always be a part of Russia. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 -- a move that Western countries regard as illegitimate -- in the wake of the overthrow of Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president. Putin exalted the annexation while visiting Sevastopol, the city that is the home port for Russia’s Black Sea fleet.”
—
“Our country has regained its historical unity. This living and unbreakable bond can be especially keenly felt, of course, here, in Sevastopol, in Crimea," said Putin on Thursday.
"They are with Russia forever now, as that is the sovereign, free and unbending will of the people, of all our people.”



Russia’s Armed Forces Rehearse the Defense of Crimea
(Jamestown Org.)
“At the end of October, the Russian Armed Forces staged a military exercise in Crimea to rehearse the defense of the occupied peninsula. The military deployed forces from the Southern Military District/Joint Strategic Command (Obyedinennyye Strategicheskoye Komandovanie—OSK) to the Opuk training ground in Crimea, where they practiced the defense of the territory in a variety of tactical episodes involving the Military-Maritime Fleet (Voyenno-Morskoy Flot—VMF), Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno Kosmicheskikh Sil—VKS), Ground Forces and naval infantry.”



Russian Military Movements Unlikely Preparation for Imminent Offensive against Ukraine, but Still Concerning
(ISW)
“The frequency of major Russian military exercises and redeployments increased in 2021. Several Russian actions throughout the year have sparked worries of major offensive actions that did not occur. This pattern of increasingly frequent Russian maneuvers and rhetorical escalations will likely continue, and it will be easy for the West to fall into one of two traps—overly alarmist warnings of imminent Russian offensives that are unlikely to occur, or complacency and inattention to Russian actions. The Kremlin likely intends to produce both these effects, allowing it to intimidate Ukraine and NATO and simultaneously establish a new normal of continuous Russian exercises, obscuring dangerous moves.”



Russian Propaganda: Lithuania and Poland Want to ‘Recover’ Kaliningrad
By Paul Goble, Jamestown
“In mid-October, RuBaltic.ru, a pro-Russian portal directed at the Baltic countries, released a 60-page report outlining what it believes to be Lithuania’s plan to seize all or part of Kaliningrad with the help of NATO (RuBaltic.ru, October 20, 2021). Written by Aleksandr Nosovich, a notoriously anti-Baltic Russian analyst, the report argues that many Lithuanians continue to view the eastern half of Kaliningrad as “Lithuania Minor,” a core part of their historical space, even though this territory was never part of any modern Lithuanian state. Moreover, he suggests that Vilnius has been egged on by the United States and “anti-Russian centers” like The Jamestown Foundation. Nosovich claims that some US analysts have suggested that, in the event of a Russian collapse, what is now Kaliningrad should be handed over to Warsaw and incorporated into Poland (RuBaltic.ru, October 27).”



Russia Halts Coal Exports To Ukraine
(RFERL)
“For months, critics have accused Russia of withholding additional natural-gas shipments to Europe via Ukraine in order to pressure Brussels to fast-track its new Baltic Sea export pipeline, Nord Stream 2. 
 Now Russia's energy fight with Ukraine appears to be spilling over into the coal and electricity sectors, potentially setting Kyiv up for an energy crisis this winter 
”



Weapons Tracing Study Implicates Russia in Ukraine Conflict
(New York Times)
“A study of weapons and ammunition used in the war in Ukraine shows that Russia has been systematically fanning the conflict with arms shipments, according to a new report funded by the European Union and the German government. The study is hardly the first to reach this conclusion 
 the study is one of the most comprehensive to date on the issue.”



Russia, Belarus agree on deeper integration
(Deutsche Welle)
“Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday gave embattled Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko his backing against foreign "interference" during a virtual meeting aiming to move the two countries closer together. 
 Thursday's agreements saw Belarus and Russia align on areas of taxation, banking, industry and agriculture. They followed a deal reached in September to work together on 28 programs that moved toward a decades-old plan for a "union state" between the former Soviet Union members.”



The meaning of Vladimir Putin’s attack on liberalism
(The New Statesman)
“On 21 October, Vladimir Putin stood before a crowd of dignitaries from home and abroad to deliver the keynote speech of the Valdai Discussion Club annual summit in Sochi, southern Russia. His speech laid out the ways in which Western liberalism had become a failing worldview redolent of a society in decline. Speaking to an audience that had travelled from China, Iran, Pakistan, India and even a few from Europe, to attend the forum, Putin railed against the “sociocultural disturbances” plaguing the West.”



Targeting Russia’s super-rich will bring down the Putin’s house of cards
(CEPA)
“Russia’s wealthiest people are dependent on the West and are thus vulnerable to Western pressure. 
 This is where the collective West can strike if it chooses. Russia continues to wage war on Ukraine and to interfere in the internal affairs of countries around the world, but there is no need for a risk-averse, post-Afghanistan West to become militarily engaged. Western democracies (the US and UK in particular) have a powerful non-military tool for not just “containing Russia” but forcing a return to peaceful behavior. FBI and Scotland Yard’s boots on the ground in New York and London will suffice — if there is the political will to tackle the Kremlin’s trans-border kleptocracy.”



Russian troop movements near Ukraine border prompt concern
(Washington Post)
“Officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the troop movements have reignited concerns that arose in April, when the largest buildup of troops by Russia near the Ukrainian border in years sparked an international outcry.”
—
“The renewed movements of Russian forces in the area come as the Kremlin embraces a harder line on Ukraine. Russian officials from President Vladimir Putin on down have escalated their rhetoric in recent months, attacking Kyiv’s Western ties and even questioning its sovereignty. Putin has warned that any expansion of NATO military infrastructure on Ukrainian territory represents a “red line” for Moscow.”
—
“What the Russian forces gathering near the Ukrainian border are doing is unclear.”





Russia’s Defense Industry and Its Influence on Policy
By Pavel Luzin, Russia Matters
“When considering Moscow’s policies toward the United States and NATO, the Russian defense industry’s influence can only be understood in the context of this administrative-market-driven feedback loop: In its foreign policy, the Kremlin relies on asserting its military might and on continued legitimacy in the eyes of Russian citizens; consequently, it needs to keep the defense industry afloat, covering the constantly growing costs and sometimes making up work for enterprises that would be redundant in a true market—including the manufacture of weapons deemed threatening by Washington and Brussels. Thus, Russia’s defense corporations and the people affiliated with them become both beneficiaries and proponents of Moscow’s ongoing confrontation with the West.”


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