Ursula von der Leyen in Estonia: Russian war crimes tribunal needed
(ERR)
“Both European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) say they support the setting-up of an international court which would be tasked with investigating war crimes committed by the Russian Federation in its invasion of Ukraine. Kallas also said that the EU should take a lead role in the court's formation.”
https://news.err.ee/1608744892/ursula-von-der-leyen-in-estonia-russian-war-crimes-tribunal-needed
Russian bombardments in Ukraine are war crimes
(Reuters)
"We, the Presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia condemn the mass bombardments of Ukrainian cities recently carried out by Russia, which constitute war crimes under international law, …”
Ukrainian couple escaped the horrors of war, traveling to Estonia through Crimea
(Postimees)
“Viktoria, an artist, and her partner, Danil, a programmer, heard every explosion in Kherson since July, when the Ukrainian forces fired from a distance at the Antonivka bridge, along which the Russians were transporting equipment and ammunition to the units which had crossed the Dnieper.”
—
“They were forced to leave their homes by a referendum organized by the Russians and their collaborators. This did not inspire popular support in Kherson, which had already been abandoned by more than half of its 284,000 inhabitants. The city, where the main language of communication is Russian, fell under Russian control by March 2.”
—
“Looting of shops, indiscriminate shooting from trucks and tanks began immediately. It was horrible,” says Viktoria.”
https://news.postimees.ee/7625251/a-ukrainian-couple-traveled-to-estonia-through-crimea
_______________
EstoNews on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EstoNews/
Every issue of the newsletter since 2014 has been converted to PDFs and are stored in my Dropbox account. This link should give you access if you’d like to take a look: “EstoNews Archive” .
I am thinking about emailing the weekly newsletter as a PDF file. That would allow more photographs, graphics, etc. Won’t happen until 2023.
_______________
Friday 14. October
Eestikeelse õppe jaoks on puudu nii õpetajad kui ka õpikud
(ERR)
“Haridus- ja teadusministeerium on alustanud ettevalmistusi selleks, et aastast 2024 minna järk-järgult üle eestikeelsele haridusele. Tallinna abilinnapea Vadim Belobrovtsev kahtleb, kas sellist reformi on võimalik teha kahe aastaga, kui puudus on nii õpetajatest kui ka õppematerjalidest.”
Väliskogukonnad tugevdavad Eesti julgeolekut
(Diplomaatia)
“Vahel ütleme väikese uhkusevarjundiga hääles, et iga eestlane on kui Eesti saadik maailmas: meie rahvuskaaslased välismaal loovad ja arendavad riigi mainet ning aitavad sellega kaudselt kaasa ka Eesti julgeoleku tagamisele. Püüan seda väidet nüüd pisut sisuga täita.”
—
“Arengud rände ja diasporaa vallas on dünaamilised ja nende uurimine sellisest vaatenurgast on üpris uus nähtus, mis puudutab erinevaid distsipliine statistikast kuni inimpsühholoogia peenimate nüanssideni välja. Segadus on terminitegagi: väljaspool Eestit elab hinnanguliselt 150,000 – 200,000 eesti juurtega inimest, aga neid kõiki eestlaseks nimetada oleks ilmne liialdus, seetõttu käin terminitega üsna vabalt ümber.”
https://diplomaatia.ee/valiskogukonnad-tugevdavad-eesti-julgeolekut/
Estonian Volunteers Train for a Day They Hope Will Never Come
(VOA)
“The fear that Russia could one day fall on them is palpable and has led to the mobilization of civil society, such as with volunteer groups like the Estonian Defense League.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/estonian-volunteers-train-for-a-day-they-hope-will-never-come/6788101.html
Or:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKI3b6RQI_Y
Estonian Metropolitan Yevgeny distances himself from Russian Patriarch Kirill
(CNE)
“Minister of Internal Affairs, Lauri Läänemets, says that he is pleased with the final decision of the Metropolitan. “With this, the Estonian Orthodox Church is actually backing away from the words of the Russian Patriarch Kirill, where he essentially said that [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin is the holy of holies, that the war in Ukraine is holy and by so doing essentially gave it his blessing.”
“Moscow’s Patriarch Kirill Backs Putin’s War.” - Paul Goble
“Head of Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia condemns Ukraine invasion.” - ERR
“Head of Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia not sharing Patriarch Kirill's views.” - The Baltic Times
Venemaa on lisanud Soome ja Norra piiri äärde pommituslennukeid
(Postimees)
“Venemaa raskepommitajad asuvad Olenja õhujõudude baasis, mis jääb Soome piirist 150 kilomeetri kaugusele, Norra piirist natuke kaugemale. 7. oktoobril tehtud satelliidipiltide järgi on baasis kokku 11 pommitajat, millest seitse on Tu-160 ja neli Tu-95. Neist esimest nimetatakse maailma suurimaks pommitajaks ja selle tippkiirus on 2200 kilomeetrit tunnis ehk üle kahe korra kiirem helikiirusest.”
—
“Tavaliselt hoitakse neid lennukeid Moskvast 700 kilomeetri kaugusel kagus asuvas Engelsi baasis.”
Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Estonia have broken down
(ERR)
“Belarus announced that the Estonian mission in Minsk would be reduced to one diplomat. Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) told ERR that Estonia responded symmetrically. "The situation at the Estonian embassy in Minsk has deteriorated to the point where the Lukashenko administration has decided to limit the size of the mission in an unfriendly action or as a form of pressure against Estonia," Reinsalu said.”
—
“Belarus restricted Estonia to only one diplomat and one technical assistant.
Reinsalu confirmed that these people will remain in place, while the rest of the Estonian embassy staff has already returned, or is on their way back to Estonia.”
https://news.err.ee/1608751435/diplomatic-relations-between-belarus-and-estonia-have-broken-down
Baltic nations long warned about Russia. Now the West is listening
(Washington Post)
“Their warnings about Russian aggression and calls for stronger Western action to deter Putin were long brushed aside by many in Europe, even after Russia’s 2008 invasion of Georgia and the Kremlin’s 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea.”
—
“One lesson from this war is we should have listened to those who know Putin,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her State of the European Union speech last month. “They have been telling us for years that Putin would not stop.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/12/baltics-poland-russia-warnings-nato/
“Arvamus: Eesti süüdistab Lääne-Euroopat Venemaa alahindamises, aga enda kodutöö on samamoodi tegemata.” - Postimees
Valgevene hoidub sõtta minekust
(ERR)
“Valgevene küll deklareerib liitlassuhet Venemaaga ja saadab Vene vägedele relvi, kuid märke sellest, et Valgevene võiks siseneda oma vägedega Ukraina-vastasesse sõtta, ei ole, ütles kaitseväe peastaabi ülema asetäitja kolonel Mart Vendla. "Valgevenel ei ole jätkuvalt tekkinud mingit huvi otseselt siseneda lahingutegevusse, vaid pigem toetada Vene Föderatsiooni, andes laskemoona ja survestades [Ukrainat] niimoodi," rääkis Vendla reedel kaitseministeeriumis peetud regulaarsel briifingul.”
https://www.err.ee/1608751357/kolonel-valgevene-hoidub-sotta-minekust
“Valgevenesse hakkavad saabuma «piirkondliku väekoondise» Vene üksused.” - Postimees
“Valgevene kuulutas välja terroritõrje operatsiooni.” - ERR
How Moscow grabs thousands of Ukrainian kids and makes them Russians
(AP)
“Thousands of children have been found in the basements of war-torn cities like Mariupol and at orphanages in the Russian-backed separatist territories of Donbas. They include those whose parents were killed by Russian shelling as well as others in institutions or with foster families, known as “children of the state.”
—
“Russia claims that these children don’t have parents or guardians to look after them, or that they can’t be reached. But the AP found that officials have deported Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories without consent, lied to them that they weren’t wanted by their parents, used them for propaganda, and given them Russian families and citizenship.”
https://apnews.com/article/ukrainian-children-russia-7493cb22c9086c6293c1ac7986d85ef6
“Estonia turns away Ukrainian refugees at EU border after harrowing wait.” - DW
Thursday 13. October
NATO chief tries to allay nuclear war fears - ‘it’s extremely remote'
(CBC | ERR)
“NATO defence ministers met behind closed doors Thursday to discuss nuclear deterrence against a backdrop of saber-rattling with Moscow. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sought to reassure by saying the "circumstances in which NATO might have to use nuclear weapons are extremely remote."
Stoltenberg's remarks come on the heels of the alliance announcing that its annual nuclear deterrent training exercise — known Exercise Steadfast Noon — will proceed as scheduled next week despite Russia's threats.”
—
“NATO has given a clear message that nuclear escalation by Russia would irreversibly change the course of the war in Ukraine, Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said after a meeting of the alliance.”
—
[Exercise Steadfast Noon: 17. Oct until 30, Oct. 2022]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nato-russia-nuclear-ukraine-1.6615651
“NATO to kick off nuclear drills involving B-52 bombers on Monday.” - Reuters
“Exercise "Steadfast Noon" involves 14 countries and up to 60 aircraft.” - NATO
“NATO nuclear exercises to go ahead, despite tensions with Russia.” - Euronews
Terviseamet: Eestis ei ole kiirgusohtu, jooditablette varuda ei ole vaja
(Postimees)
“Helsingin Sanomat vahendab, et Soome sotsiaal- ja tervishoiuministeerium on andnud soovituse varuda koju joodi. Asjatundjate arvates pole aga apteeki kohe vaja tormata. Eesti terviseameti sõnul ei tohiks niisama igaks juhuks joodi tarvitada.”
“West makes plans to avoid panic if Russia uses nuclear bomb in Ukraine.” - The Guardian
“Estonian experts do not recommend stockpiling iodine tablets at home.” - ERR
“Not necessary to take iodine tablets in Estonia due to the events in Ukraine.” - Estonian Environmental Board
“Finnish pharmacies run out of iodine tablets after guideline update.” - Helsinki Times
“Joditabletit myytiin apteekeista loppuun, mutta täydennystä on tulossa pian.” - Yle
“Russian forces will be 'annihilated' by conventional weapons if Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine.” - The Guardian
“No signs Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapon - UK spy chief.” - The Guardian
“How high is the risk of Putin using a nuclear weapon.” - Deutsche Welle
EU to support Estonia’s Ida-Viru County with €354 million
(Estonian World | Baltic Times)
“Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched in the northeastern Estonian border town of Narva on Monday the implementation of the just transition plan whereby East-Viru County is set to receive 354 million euros in EU funding.”
https://estonianworld.com/business/the-eu-to-support-estonias-poorest-region-with-e354-million/
—
“Euroopa Komisjoni president kõnnib Narvas oma võimsa esiisa radadel.” - Postimees
Terve Ukraina ründamiseks Venemaal ilmselt enam rakette ei ole
(ERR)
“Julgeolekuekspert Rainer Saks ütles "Terevisioonis", et Venemaal ei ole tõenäoliselt enam kogu Ukraina rakettidega ründamiseks vahendeid. Valgevene jääks aga sõtta astudes tema sõnul ilma režiimi toest ning üksuste vähese võitlusvõime tõttu ei oleks neil Ukraina vastu mingit lootust.”
—
“Esmaspäeval korraldas Venemaa Ukraina linnadele ulatuslikud raketirünnakud, tule alla jäi nii Kiiev kui ka läänepoolsed, aga ka muud linnad. Venemaa tulistas Ukraina linnade pihta üle 80 raketi, millest Ukraina õhukaitse lasi alla umbes pooled.”
https://www.err.ee/1608748963/saks-terve-ukraina-rundamiseks-venemaal-ilmselt-enam-rakette-ei-ole
“Estonia sending more military aid, winter army uniforms to Ukraine.” - ERR
“Estonia to Send Additional Military Aid to Ukraine.” - Defense Post
Eesti ühines kavandatava üleeurooplise õhukaitse süsteemiga
(Estonian World Review)
“Eesti koos 13 NATO riigi ja Soomega otsustasid ehitada Euroopale integreeritud õhukaitsesüsteemi (European Sky Shield). Vastav otsus kirjutati kaitseministrite poolt alla Brüsselis. Saksamaa algatatud projektis osalevad ka Ühendkuningriik, Slovakkia, Norra, Läti, Ungari, Bulgaaria, Belgia, Tšehhi, Leedu, Holland, Rumeenia, Sloveenia ning Soome.”
—
“Saksamaa kantsleri Scholzi sõnul oleks ühine Euroopa õhutõrje kõigi osapoolte jaoks odavam ja efektiivsem selle asemel, et iga riik ehitab kallid ja keerukad õhutõrjesüsteemid ise valmis.”
https://www.eesti.ca/eesti-uhines-kavandatava-uleeurooplise-ohukaitse-susteemiga/article59645
Estonia joins Scholz-initiated European air defense system program
(ERR | Baltic Times)
“Estonia has signed up to a German-led initiative to build up a Europe-wide long-range integrated air defense system, which would remain under NATO rather than European Union auspices. Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) joined his counterparts from 13 NATO countries, plus NATO applicant Finland, at a meeting in Brussels Thursday, to sign the initiative.”
https://news.err.ee/1608749380/estonia-joins-scholz-initiated-european-air-defense-system-program
—
https://www.baltictimes.com/14_nato_members_and_finland_agree_to_create_european_air_defense_system/
“Finland, not Sweden, joins NATO missile shield initiative.” - Euractiv
“NATO Agrees to Build 'European Sky Shield' Amid Mass Russia Strikes.” - Newsweek
NATO Doubles Naval Presence in Baltic, North Seas After Pipeline Sabotage
(Foreign Policy)
“Western countries have ramped up their military presence in the Baltic and North Seas in response to suspected Russian sabotage of undersea gas pipelines while top NATO officials issued fresh warnings to Moscow against targeting critical infrastructure in Europe, the latest sign of spiking tensions between the West and Russia over its war in Ukraine.”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/10/11/baltic-nato-russia-navy-nord-stream-sabotage/
Germany and US Play Out Scenarios of a Nuclear Strike By Russia
(Spiegel)
“Ben Hodges, who served as commander of the U.S. Army in Europe until a few years ago, foresees a massive U.S. conventional response. He says that the response would be precisely tailored to Russian action, but that it would be destructive enough to send a clear message to Moscow. In recent days, other military officials and experts have floated the specific idea of immediately destroying the launch site of the Russian nuclear missile. This threat alone, they believe, could have a deterrent effect. "Putin doesn’t push the nuclear button himself. The commander who does it knows that 10 minutes after he does so, he's dead," says Munich Security Conference head Heusgen.”
Wednesday 12. October
LNG terminal’s tanker ship to be stationed in Finland, not Estonia
(BNN)
“The tanker that will store and carry liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be stationed in Finland’s Inga, not Estonia’s Paldiski, as announced by Estonian Minister of Economics and Infrastructure Riina Sikkut. “Today we have truly reached an agreement in this matter,» Sikkut told ERR after she and her Finnish colleague Mika Lintilä visited Paldiski, where, similarly to Inga, construction of an LNG terminal is underway.”
“Sikkut admitted that it became clear to her that the tanker ship would be stationed in Finland as early as July, when she became minister.”
https://bnn-news.com/lng-terminals-tanker-ship-to-be-stationed-in-finland-not-estonia-239260
“LNG terminali otsusega pole rahul ei opositsioon ega koalitsioon.” - Estonian World Review
“Millised on Eesti kokkulepped Soomega, et gaas siia jõuaks?” - Õhtuleht
“Miks Eesti üldse arvas, et Soome renditud LNG terminal meile jääb?” - Postimees
“Isamaa ootab Riina Sikkutilt LNG-terminali kohta selgitusi.” - Postimees
“LNG Tanker Vessel To Be Stationed In Finland, Instead Of Estonia.” - Marine Insight
Kaja Kallas avaldas, kus asub Eesti talvegaas
(Postimees)
“Kui me vaatame puhtalt numbritele otsa, siis Eestil on erinevad tarnekanalid gaasi puhul. Meil on Klaipeda LNG-terminal, kus on 38 teravatt-tundi gaasi, Hamina LNG-terminal, kus on 1 teravatt-tund. Läti gaasihoidlas on 12,6 teravatt-tundi võimsust kogutud gaasi, GIPL ehk toru, mis on Leedu ja Poola vahel, see hetkel ei tööta ja LNG-terminal on siis 15 teravatt-tundi,” loetles peaminister. Kokku on see Kallase sõnul ligikaudu 66 teravatt-tundi erinevatest allikatest.”
https://investor.postimees.ee/7625081/kaja-kallas-avaldas-kus-asub-eesti-talvegaas
Economies: Estonia vs. Armenia
(The Armenian Mirror-Spectator)
“(The article’s author) had an opportunity to attend a lecture by Alar Karis, the president of Estonia. After attending meetings at the United Nations, President Karis came to Austin for the opening of the U.S. headquarters of two Estonian companies, Clevon and EyeVi Technology. As a former Soviet Republic, Estonia has become the poster child for the greatest economic success story from the dissolution of the USSR. I wanted to learn why Estonia, with a population of 1.3 million, half the population of Armenia, has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that is three times that of Armenia and an average income of five times Armenia. Both Armenia and Estonia declared independence in 1991, yet they have been on very different economic paths. …”
https://mirrorspectator.com/2022/10/09/estonia-vs-armenia/
‘Ukraine is going to win’: Estonia’s departing spy chief on Putin’s war
(Yahoo News)
“Early retirement” is a strange way to describe a 44-year-old’s acceptance of a new government role, but for Mikk Marran, Estonia’s spymaster, it feels a lot like that. As of next month he will no longer helm Välisluureamet, the Baltic state’s foreign intelligence service, which, long before Vladimir Putin’s faltering invasion of Ukraine, was at the forefront of assessing the threats and capabilities of a resurgent and revanchist Russia.”
—
“Seven years, it’s a long time,” Marran tells me from his modest office in a modern new building contained within a small fortress complex in the Rahumäe district of Tallinn, the country’s capital. “The other day I calculated how many CIA directors I’ve met during my term as a director: four, plus two MI6 directors. I’m the most senior foreign intelligence chief in the circle right now. And I'm probably the youngest still.”
Census: the average home in Estonia is older than the average person
(Estonian World)
“… and the number of households living in private houses has increased.”
Toomas Hendrik Ilves joins SensusQ advisory board
(SensusQ press release)
“We are honoured to have Mr. Ilves join the SensusQ advisory board. Ilves's experience in digital transformation and innovation with large national projects, his extensive network, and his keen analytical mind will be invaluable as we continue to expand.”
- Putin’s War -
First deaths of ill-prepared mobilized Russian troops in Ukraine
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment: 13. October
(ISW)
“Public reports of the first deaths of ill-prepared mobilized Russian troops in Ukraine have sparked renewed criticism of the Russian military command. Russian media reported that five mobilized men from Chelyabinsk have already died in combat in Ukraine just three weeks after President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of partial mobilization on September 21. The report led many pro-war milbloggers to claim that the number of dead and wounded among mobilized servicemen is likely higher than this due to lack of promised training, equipment, unit cohesion, and commanders, as well as repeated instances of wrongful mobilization.”
—
“Increasingly degraded morale, discipline, and combat capabilities among Russian troops in combat zones in Ukraine may be leading to temporary suspensions in offensive operations in limited areas. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that, particularly in Donetsk Oblast, certain Russian units are receiving orders from commanders to temporarily halt offensive operations due to extremely low morale, psychological conditions, high rates of desertion, and non-execution of combat orders.”
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-13
“Putin: Call-up of Russian reservists to finish in 2 weeks.” - AP
Zaporizhzhya: One Ukrainian City in the Way of Putin’s New Total War
By Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic
“As they rush to evacuate children, the civilians of Zaporizhzhya face a double threat of nuclear devastation. … The Zaporizhzhya nuclear-power plant had recently lost its external electrical power supply and was relying on diesel generators to maintain safe operation and manageable temperatures in the reactor core. Could Putin order the plant itself blown up, or a strike against Zaporizhzhya with a nuclear weapon, as he has threatened to do more broadly against Ukraine?”
—
“Here, in Zaporizhzhya, we are the ground zero, but we are not ready for nuclear bombs. We have no place to hide from them, no proper shelters with stored water, food, or medicine.”
—
“Svitlana Vaselyuk has experience of a nuclear catastrophe. She had lived through the Chernobyl disaster. “Four days after the reactor blew up in Chernobyl, in 1986, Soviet authorities made us march at the May 1 parade,” she told me. “I went out with my little daughter instead of sitting at home with all windows and doors shut, and now both of us suffer from thyroid health issues.”
Sinister Putin Scheme Spirals With Kidnapping at Nuclear Plant
(The Daily Beast)
“The kidnapping fits a pattern of abuse and violence at the plant that Russia has been deploying for months. It wouldn't be the first time that Russians have taken hostage an employee of the plant, which has tottered on the brink of nuclear disaster as Moscow has sought to take over swaths of land in Ukraine. Plant workers have said in previous months that Russians have kidnapped plant workers and held them for ransom, The Wall Street Journal reported.”
Russia Just Showed Why It’s Floundering in Ukraine
(The Atlantic)
“On Monday, the Russians responded (to the Kerch bridge bombing) in a manner that was both homicidal and pointless. Starting early in the morning, they fired almost every type of missile in their arsenal—including their supposedly accurate Kalibr cruise missiles; repurposed, less accurate S-300 anti-aircraft missiles; and Iranian kamikaze drones—against civilian targets in major Ukrainian cities. For two days they used this motley collection of expensive weaponry to show Ukraine their anger and muscle and to mollify nationalist hard-liners incensed over Russia’s recent defeats. Yet Russian officials are inadvertently revealing their powerlessness over much of Ukrainian resistance. The total cost of this Russian operation will be enormous. One advanced missile can cost more than $10 million—and Russia has fired many of them. Moreover, because of sanctions that keep it from obtaining high-tech equipment such as advanced microchips, Russia will have great difficulty replenishing its shrinking supply.”
“Crimea bridge: Russia 'to repair blast damage by July 2023’.” - BBC
“How Ukraine Can Take Back All of Its Territory.” - Foreign Affairs
“'General Armageddon': Who Is The Brutal Russian Commander Charged With Winning The Ukraine War?” - RFERL
“General Sergei Surovikin: Putin’s new attack dog.” - Spectator
“Would Lukashenko really throw Belarus into a war Russia is losing.” - The Guardian
“Belarus army would likely have little impact in Ukraine war.” - ABCNews
“As Putin escalates war, some in Russia’s business elite despair.” - Washington Post
“Putin was master of all he surveyed; then he invaded Ukraine.” - Politico
__________
_____
__
