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11 November, 2022



 Kherson is ‘ours,’ says Zelenskyy

(Politico Europe | DW | Guardian)
“Ukrainian troops entered the city of Kherson on Friday, greeted by crowds of ecstatic residents waving blue and yellow flags and singing the national anthem, as Russian occupying troops fell away to the east side of the Dnipro River. The Russian retreat is a huge setback to Moscow’s dream of seizing the port of Odesa and cutting Ukraine off from the Black Sea. Now Russian troops are setting up new defensive position and waiting for another Ukrainian strike. The reversal represents the largest defeat for the invading Russians since they were forced back from the capital Kyiv in April and marks yet another major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war goals.”
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Ukraina vabastajad jÔudsid Hersoni linna
(Postimees)
“Vaenlane ei too meile kingitusi, ei tee hea tahte ĆŸeste,” Ă€rgitas Ukraina president VolodĂ”mĂ”r ZelenskĂ”i ööl vastu eilset tehtud pöördumises avalikkust vaoshoitusele, lisades, et Ukraina edenemine tuleb langenud sĂ”durite elu hinnaga, vahendas Postimees.”
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“Ukraina sai just nĂŒĂŒd veel ĂŒhe tĂ€htsa vĂ”idu, mis tĂ”estab, et mida iganes Venemaa ei ĂŒtleks vĂ”i teeks, Ukraina vĂ”idab ikka,” kirjutas vĂ€lisminister DmĂ”tro Kuleba sotsiaalmeedias.”







Venemaa sai Hersonis valusa hoobi
(Postimees)
“Lahkumine Hersonist oli Venemaale hĂ€bistav. 
 Samal ajal sĂ€ilitas Venemaa arvestatava lahingugrupi. 
 Hersoni mahajĂ€tmise jĂ€rel vĂ”ib karta Venemaa kĂ€ttemaksu.”






Friday 11. November


Eesti inimesed ulatuslikku sĂ”jalist rĂŒnnakut riigi vastu vĂ€ga tĂ”enĂ€oliseks ei pea
(ERR)
“Ulatuslikku sĂ”jalist rĂŒnnakut Eesti riigi vastu peab tĂ”enĂ€oliseks 23 protsenti Eesti elanikest, piiratud sĂ”jalist rĂŒnnakut mĂ”ne strateegilise objekti vastu pelgab 31 protsenti, selgus riigikantselei tellitud Turu-uuringute AS-i kĂŒsitlusest.”






Estonia approves bill to remove Soviet-era insignia from public spaces
(ERR | Estonian World | other sources)
“
 which will facilitate removing installations, details or other objects dating primarily from the Soviet era and which appear to glorify or justify that regime.”
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Valitsus kiitis heaks eelnĂ”u hoonete kĂŒljest punasĂŒmboolika eemaldamiseks
(ERR)
“NeljapĂ€evasel istungil kiitis valitsus heaks ehitusseadustiku muudatused, mille eesmĂ€rgiks on eemaldada punasĂŒmboolikat Eesti avalikust ruumist, sealhulgas nĂ€iteks hoonete fassaadidelt. EelnĂ”uga kehtestatakse nĂ”ue, et hoone avalikult nĂ€htav osa, samuti avalikult eksponeeritud monument, skulptuur, ausammas vĂ”i muu taoline rajatis, ei tohi olla vaenu Ă”hutav ega toetada vĂ”i Ă”igustada okupatsioonireĆŸiimi, agressiooniakti, genotsiidi, inimsusevastase kuriteo vĂ”i sĂ”jakuriteo toimepanemist.”




MaarjamÀe memoriaali tulevik jÀÀb tÔenÀoliselt uue valitsuse otsustada
(EER)
“Kultuuriministeerium soovib jĂ€tkuvalt liita MaarjamĂ€e memoriaali kompleksi Eesti Ajaloomuuseumiga, kuid valitsuses selleks poliitilist kokkulepet ei ole ning tĂ”enĂ€oliselt jÀÀb memoriaali tulevik uue valitsuse otsustada.”






Tallinn's Christmas Market to open at end of November
(ERR)
“The Christmas tree and Market will return to Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square) on November 25. The market will be open until January 8, 2023.”








Thursday 10. November


Arvamus: Putini valijad ei saa otsustada, kes juhib Tallinna
Helir-Valdor Seeder, Postimees
“Meie parlament on tunnistanud Venemaa terroristlikuks riigiks ja ma olen sĂŒgavalt veendunud, et Eestiga sisuliselt sĂ”jas oleva riigi kodanike valimisĂ”igus kohalikel valimistel on julgeolekuoht. Kohalike omavalitsuste kaudu saavad Vene kodanikud mĂ”jutada meie riigi otsuseid kuni riigipea valimiseni vĂ€lja. Inimesed, kes hÀÀletavad Vene valimistel Putini poolt, saavad – kĂŒll kaudselt, aga siiski – otsustada ka seda, kes on Eesti riigipea ja kes juhib Eesti pealinna.”




Britain vows to flow artillery and helicopters into Estonia
(Defense News)
“The agreement, signed in London by British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur, aims to implement NATO plans approved in Madrid, Spain, over the summer for hardening the alliance’s eastern front.”
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“In January, Chinook helicopters will arrive in Estonia, in March Apache helicopters, in April Typhoon fighters, and in May an additional battlegroup will be deployed to Estonia for the large-scale exercise Spring Storm,” Pevkur said in a statement on the deal from the Estonian Defence Ministry. “The UK will maintain the multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), brought to Estonia in summer 2022 to reinforce the allied battlegroup, and the short range air defense systems Stormer.”







Vene rĂŒnnakud tsiviiltaristule hĂ€vitavad Ukraina loodust
(ERR)
“SĂ”jategevusega vallanduvad heitgaasid, purustustega tekkinud kĂŒtuselekked, miinid ning sĂ”jamasinate rusud reostavad Ukraina pĂ”lde, jĂ”gesid, kogu loodust. Selline reostus laieneb nĂŒĂŒd, kui Venemaa on veel enam asunud sihtima Ukraina tsiviiltaristut, ĂŒtles Stockholmi Keskkonnainstituudi Tallinna Keskuse vanemekspert Harri Moora.”
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“SĂ”jasaaste vĂ”ib pĂŒsida aastasadu, kui mitte tuhandeid, eriti, kui peaks tĂ”eks saama oht, et Venemaa mingil moel tuumareostuse korraldab. Seega on oluline toetada Ukrainat saaste koristamisel. "MĂ”nevĂ”rra vĂ”ib seda vĂ”rrelda kunagise ajaga, kui Eesti taasiseseisvus, ka siis me saime pĂ€ris palju toetust ja ressurssi paljuski militaarsaaste likvideerimiseks. Ma olen enam kui kindel, et see keskkonnateema saab olema ĂŒheks prioriteetsemaks teemaks muu elukeskkonna taastamise kĂ”rval. Selleks tuleb eraldi projektid ja fondid luua.”




The U.N. holds a climate summit every year. Is it actually working?
(Washington Post)
“Although this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference is in a new setting, in many other ways the conference felt like deja vu. For almost three decades, governments have met to discuss the problem of climate change and tried to work toward a solution that will keep global warming from topping 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). They have negotiated, signed treaties, reneged on those treaties and signed new ones. And almost every year, carbon emissions have continued to climb." 














Wednesday 9. November


Riik: keskpolĂŒgooni mÔÔtu Nursipalu harjutusala kuju selgub koos kohalikega
(ERR)
“Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskuse (RKIK) direktor Magnus-Valdemar Saar ĂŒtleb, et see, millistest relvadest kaitsevĂ€gi Nursipalu harjutusvĂ€ljal lasta saab, sĂ”ltub kokkuleppest kohalikega. Senisest kuni neli korda suurema harjutuvĂ€lja detailid lepitakse tema sĂ”nul kokku aastate jooksul.”
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“VĂ”ru ettevĂ”tjad kĂŒsivad, kui palju saavad nad mĂŒĂŒa rohkem pitsat.”




VÔrumaa residents fearful of planned military training zone
(ERR)
“Local residents across three municipalities in southeastern Estonia have expressed their worries about potentially being forced to sell their land and property, which in many cases would have been in the family for decades, ahead of a planned, large expansion to the existing Nursipalu training area, in VĂ”ru County. While the exact dimensions and location of the expansion have not yet been publicly announced, it will largely affect Antsla and RĂ”uge rural municipalities, and to a lesser extent VĂ”ru Rural Municipality 
”




How To Be on Time in Estonia
(Atlas Obscura)
“Estonian is spoken by about 1.1 million people, and is notorious as one of the most difficult European languages for English speakers to learn, along with its siblings in the Finno-Ugric language family, Finnish and Hungarian. 
 One particularly complicated part of Estonian grammar is its nouns. Estonian nouns may have no gender (just like English but unlike languages based on Latin), but they have 14 grammatical cases, meaning that nouns may change in 14 different ways depending on their use in a sentence. 
 As for verbs, to express something that might happen in the future there is no separate tense. Rather, you use the present tense and then a temporal marker, such as a specific time. So, in order to say, “I will solve this puzzle at 8:30 p.m.,” you say, “I solve this puzzle at 8:30 p.m.,” and context does the rest.”




Estonians optimistic about EV revolution
(ERR, 7. Nov.)
“The Ministry of the Environment will introduce incentives for buying an electric car to popularize zero emissions vehicles later this year. Experts believe Estonia is ready for EVs, while attitudes and habits need to change. Last week saw the entry into force of the EU decision to ban sales of internal combustion engine vehicles starting from 2035. European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said that the decision poses a threat to the auto industry and clearly comes too soon. However, people are rather positively inclined towards the triumph of electric vehicles in Estonia and no longer regard it a privilege of the wealthy. 
 The first electric vehicles hit Estonian roads ten years ago, while people still tend to believe that an EV will not get to where it's going. Both the cars and batteries have reached a point where that is no longer a concern.”









Rapid charging stations coming to Estonian roads by end of 2024
(Market Screener)
“The first stage will involve installing 73 charging points in 25 locations to boost Estonia’s EV charging infrastructure. The project is co-funded by the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency as part of the EU’s European Green Deal. 
 The two companies have selected Kempower Power Units with Satellite systems and Station Chargers for the project, which will provide at least 150 kW of charging power at each location.”
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Russian propagandists sent reeling on live TV over U.S. midterm elections
By Julia Davis, The Daily Beast
“The midterm elections in the U.S. were a hot topic in Moscow. Convinced that the “red wave” was coming, Russian propagandists rushed to take credit for the anticipated landslide victory that would ensure Republican majority in Congress and Senate.”
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“
 top propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, greeted his audience by wishing them a “Happy Interference in the U.S. Election Day.” Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin's chef,” who was indicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference, likewise decided to publicly fess up to the allegations he previously denied.”
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“This plan to discredit the U.S. elections and convince the Republicans that the mighty Kremlin hand covertly helped push them to victory had backfired. On Wednesday, state TV propagandists were scratching their heads about the wave that turned out to be but a trickle. During the broadcast of 60 Minutes, host Olga Skabeeva asked an expert: “How are our guys in America?” Political scientist Vladimir Kornilov clarified with a chuckle: “Our Republicans.”




Zelenskyy open to talks with Russia — but only on Ukraine’s terms
(AP)
“Ukraine’s president has suggested he’s open to peace talks with Russia, softening his refusal to negotiate with Moscow as long as President Vladimir Putin is in power while sticking to Kyiv’s core demands. 
 But the preconditions the Ukrainian leader listed late Monday appear to be non-starters for Moscow, so it’s hard to see how Zelenskyy’s latest comments would advance any talks.”
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“Zelenskyy reiterated that his conditions for dialogue were the return of all of Ukraine’s occupied lands, compensation for war damage and the prosecution of war crimes. He didn’t specify how world leaders should coerce Russia into talks.”






NATO Secretary General announces dates for 2023 Vilnius Summit
(NATO press release)
“11-12 July 2023.”




Sweden will counter terror threats to meet Turkey's NATO objections
(Euronews)
“Sweden’s new prime minister pledged Tuesday to work toward countering "terrorism" threats to Turkey, as his government seeks Turkey's approval for his country’s NATO membership bid. Ulf Kristersson was in Ankara to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who announced a new meeting at the end of the month in Stockholm at which he hoped for "a more positive conclusion”.
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“NATO member Turkey has not yet endorsed the applications from Sweden and Finland, who abandoned their longstanding policies of military nonalignment after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. â€œMy government was elected just a few weeks ago on a mandate to put law and order first,” Kristersson said during a joint news conference with Erdogan. “And this includes countering terrorism and terrorist organisations like the PKK in Sweden.”




Satellite Images Show A Russian Buildup In Belarus. Experts: It May Be A Bluff
(RFERL)
“
 thousands of Russian troops may have returned to Belarus, raising questions about whether another incursion into Ukraine from the north is imminent -- or if Moscow, with the help of Minsk, is merely trying to distract Kyiv.”









Tuesday 8. November


Kaja Kallas: New York Times vÔib kirjutada mida iganes
(Postimees)
“NĂ€dalavahetusel kajastati Eesti meedias New York Timesi artiklit, kus NATO uue peasekretĂ€ri vĂ”imalike kandidaadina nimetati ka Kaja Kallast. NATO praeguse peasekretĂ€ri Jens Stoltenbergi ametiaeg lĂ”ppeb tuleva aasta sĂŒgisel.”
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“NY Timesi sĂ”nul on Kallas Ukraina toetamisel vĂ€ga tugev ja hÀÀlekas, tĂ”stes nii oma rahvusvahelist tuntust. Ta on korduvalt meedias rÀÀkinud, et Venemaa presidendi Vladimir Putiniga ei tohiks lĂ€birÀÀkimisi pidada ning on sĂŒĂŒdistanud Venemaad genotsiidis Ukrainas. KĂŒll aga vĂ”ib lehe sĂ”nul nii Kallasele kui ka ĂŒkskĂ”ik millisele Balti riikidest vĂ”i Poolast pĂ€rit kandidaadile saatuslikuks saada liiga Ă€ge Venemaa-vastasus. Nimelt eelistavad LÀÀne-Euroopa riigid, nagu Prantsusmaa ja Saksamaa, alliansi eesotsas pigem inimest, kes suudaks luua sĂ”ja jĂ€rel Moskvaga stabiilsemaid suhteid.”







‘Ukraine Air Rescue’: Europeans behind huge air relief effort for Ukraine
(Euronews)
“As Kay Wolf and Stephan Sahling watched the news of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine unfold on 24 February, the two German IT security experts immediately sprung to action. The long-time friends have several passions in common, but it was their shared love of aviation — Sahling is a pilot of more than 15 years and Wolf an enthusiast — that made them devise a plan on the spot.”
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“What they originally thought would be a small-time operation much akin to a local flying club grew to a large-scale undertaking involving 381 registered pilots from almost all continents, Wolf told Euronews. The planes, some lent by those who could not participate in themselves, range from two-seater Cirruses and French propeller-nosed Robins to much larger Pilatus PC-12s and everything in between.”







- Putin’s War -


Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment: 9. And 10. November
(ISW)
“Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops across the Dnipro River during a highly staged televised meeting with Commander of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine Army General Sergey Surovikin on November 9.”
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“The Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kherson direction since August 
 has likely succeeded.”
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“Many prominent voices in the Russian milblogger space sided with Surovikin and lauded the decision as a necessary one, indicating that Russian leadership has learned from the information effects of the disastrous Russian withdrawal from Kharkiv Oblast in mid-September.”
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“Ukraine holds the initiative and is in the process of securing a major victory in Kherson.”
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Hersonist taganejad jÀtavad haavatud kaaslased saatuse hooleks
(Postimees)
“Kiirelt taganevad Vene sĂ”durid hĂŒlgavad haavatud kaassĂ”durid, vahendab Briti meedia. â€˜Vene vĂ€ed tĂ”mbuvad tagasi tugevamatele positsioonidele, aga kĂ€ivad ka lahingud,’ vahendas The Telegraph Ukraina sĂ”durit. ‘Nad tĂ”mbuvad tagasi, sest kannavad kaotusi, vĂ€ga suuri kaotusi. Veelgi enam, nad ei vĂ”ta isegi oma sĂ”durite laipu kaasa ja jĂ€tavad haavatud maha. Me rĂŒndame pidevalt. Ja neil ei ole muud valikut, kui taganeda Dnipro jĂ”e taha, kuhu nad on koondanud kogu oma jĂ”u,’ lisas allikas.”




Special military units have entered the city of Kherson
(AP)
“In a video address hours after Russia said it had completed withdrawing troops from the strategically key city, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “As of now, our defenders are approaching the city. In quite a bit, we are going to enter. But special units are already in the city.”









Russian troops retreat from Kherson in new blow to Putin
(Politico Europe | Guardian)
“Russia’s commander in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, said on Russian state TV that it was no longer possible to keep supplying the city, situated on the banks of the Dnipro River. The retreat is a fresh blow to Moscow, as Kherson was the only regional capital Russian troops captured since the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion began in February. It was one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by the Russian president in late September. At the time, Putin said that the Ukrainians living in those regions “are becoming our citizens forever.”
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“In a sign of the political disarray in Moscow, foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia was willing to hold talks with Kyiv.”
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Ukraine worries Russia has turned Kherson into a ‘city of death’
Politico)
“Russia wants to “turn Kherson into a ‘city of death,’” warned Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said the Russian military “mines everything they can: apartments, sewers. Artillery on the left bank plans to turn the city into ruins.”
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“Kyiv’s caution comes from the more organized nature of the current Russian pullback; their retreat in the eastern Kharkiv region in September looked more like a rout.”








Putin’s Stalin Phase: Isolated, Paranoid, and Ever More Like the Soviet Dictator
(Foreign Affairs)
“It is not just that Stalin’s iron rule has become a model for today’s Kremlin. Increasingly, Putin himself has come to resemble Stalin in his final years, when the Soviet leader was at his most paranoid and severe. At the end of World War II, Stalin had been in power for more than 20 years, and from that time until his death in 1953, he took his regime to new autocratic extremes: heightened intolerance of other people’s opinions; constant suspicion of his close associates; ostentatious, truly shameless brutality; and deluded, obsessive ideas. Like Stalin in his late period, Putin has also spent more than 20 years in power (including his interlude as prime minister from 2008 to 2012), and in his current presidential term, which began in 2018, he has also shown many of the same qualities. During this time, he has amended the Russian constitution to reset the clock on his presidential terms, orchestrated the poisoning and arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and started a war with devastating consequences for the entire world.”
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“Now, in 2022, Russia has turned into a full-fledged, personal autocracy.”




Report: Kyiv Reinforcing Belarus Border
(The Drive)
“Despite expending tremendous resources on ongoing counteroffensives in the south and east, Ukrainian officials on Wednesday talked about how they continue to prepare the northern border with Belarus, and Kyiv itself, against the potential for an attack.”
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“Ukrainian Northern Group soldiers "are preparing for active defense in the event of a repeated attack by the Kremlin invaders from the territory of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOD) said Wednesday. “We will no longer wait for the enemy in the trenches. Active fire damage for the occupiers will begin from the moment they cross the state border with Ukraine, our defenders assure.”




US estimates 200,000 military casualties and 40,000 Ukrainian civilians on all sides in Ukraine war 
(The Guardian)
“US General Mark Milley has estimated that 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, and that Kyiv’s armed forces have “probably” suffered a similar level of casualties in the war. Milley also suggested that as many as 40,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed after being caught up in the conflict.”




Now Is Not the Time to Negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin
(The Bulwark)
“Aiding Ukraine is not only the morally right thing to do—it also serves U.S. national security interests. By helping Ukraine defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces, we not only staunch the dangerous spread of Putinism beyond Russia’s borders, but we send a signal to Putin, as well as China’s Xi and other authoritarian leaders, that we will stand by democratic allies in their struggle for freedom. Thanks to the heroism of its fighters and citizens, Ukraine has imposed enormous costs on Russian forces and is regaining previously occupied territory. President Biden has said the United States will continue its support “for as long as it takes.” That is the right stance. Much to the surprise of many officials and analysts, it looks increasingly possible that Ukraine could win this war. It is in U.S. national interests to help them do so.”




Don’t Panic About Putin
(Foreign Affairs)
“The good news is that history suggests that Putin is unlikely to fulfill the West’s worst fears. Some leaders in losing wars have taken dramatic actions to stave off defeat. But often they have decided against the most drastic options, for either political or strategic reasons. Putin, like other leaders before him, will take into account whether his actions might actually help him win, and he may be reluctant to contemplate moves that could expose Russia to even greater losses or, worse, undermine his rule at home.”







And Finally: Nukes

Fear of Nuclear War Has Warped the West’s Ukraine Strategy
By Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic
“Most of the time, when heads of state talk about nuclear war, they speak in careful, measured tones, acknowledging the gravity of the nuclear taboo and the consequences of breaking it. The Russian president takes a different approach. Speaking at his annual foreign-policy conference a few years ago, Vladimir Putin reflected, without smiling, on the consequences of a nuclear war. “We will go to heaven as martyrs,” he said, “and they will just drop dead.”
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“At the same conference last month, a regime insider, Fyodor Lukyanov, asked him about this remark: “You said that we would all go to heaven, but we’re in no hurry to get there, right?” Putin did not answer. The seconds ticked by. Lukyanov said, “You’ve stopped to think. That’s disconcerting.” Putin responded, “I did it on purpose to make you worry a little.”




Putin’s nuclear threats may hint at an electromagnetic pulse strike (EMP)
(Financial Times)
“So far, Russia’s threats of escalation against Ukraine have been largely interpreted as a veiled reference to the use of traditional nuclear weapons. But there is another tool which Vladimir Putin may be considering: a tactical electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, strike. These weapons — designed to create a powerful pulse of energy which short-circuits electrical equipment such as computers, generators, satellites, radios, radar receivers and even traffic lights — could disable Ukraine’s military and civilian infrastructure at a stroke and leave the country without light, heat, communications or transport.”
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“EMP attacks have been amply explained, and even clamoured for, on Russian state TV talk shows. A Russian colonel has demonstrated on air, with maps and charts, how such a blast over the Baltic Sea might work. It may well be that Putin and his generals have been warning us about this possibility all along, with their enigmatic threats to unleash unspecified â€œmilitary-technical measures”.




Ukrainians prep for a possible Russian nuclear attack
(Politico Europe - 7. November)
“The atomic saber rattling by the Kremlin ranges from President Vladimir Putin’s threat to defend illegally annexed Ukrainian territory “by all means available,” to increasingly unhinged comments from former President Dmitry Medvedev and Moscow’s (false) hints that Ukraine is developing a nuclear “dirty bomb” â€” something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned might be Russia preparing for a so-called false flag attack.”
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“For many Ukrainians, these are far from empty words and the country is getting ready. The authorities in the Kyiv region have hundreds of shelters that could be used in case of nuclear attack.”
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“The past eight months have taught us that anything can happen. As an official, I am preparing for the worst-case scenario, but I hope that everything will be fine,” Oleksii Kuleba, head of the capital region’s military administration, told local media.”






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