Defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory - new strategy is a work in progress
(Washington Post)
“Before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year, the multinational troops stationed in the Baltics and Poland were intended as a “tripwire” … Now, as part of what NATO bills as its “biggest overhaul” since the Cold War, the alliance claims that it intends to defend “every inch” of its territory from Day One. That is meant as a message to Moscow, as well as reassurance for countries that feared being left to languish under Russian occupation. “How it works is to give a very clear signal to Russia that we are so ready, don’t even think about us,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/05/nato-eastern-flank-defense-russia/
Interview: General Martin Herem, commander, Estonian Defense Forces
Astrid Kannel, ERR
“Some losses are inevitable should war break out in Estonia, and that people need to be prepared to mitigate the initial shock.”
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“Many Western countries are suggesting it will take Russia years if not decades to recover. I don't think so. …”
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“I don't think people understand how much munitions that are needed today really cost. And we would not have been able to give Ukraine anything if we had not procured enough of it for ourselves first. We are not short on ammunition today, while we need a lot more if we want to be prepared for that day.”
“It is Impossible to Explain the Cruelty of Russians.” - Paul Goble
Exercise Baltic Operations 2023 kicked off in the Baltic Sea
(Various sources)
“Nineteen NATO Allies, one NATO partner nation, 50 ships, more than 45 aircraft, and approximately 6,000 personnel kicked off the 52nd iteration of Baltic Operations 2023 (BALTOPS 23) in Tallinn, Estonia, 4. June.”
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https://ac.nato.int/archive/2023/BALTOPS-23_kickoff
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCXOEUaWkA8
“NATO ships participate in exercise BALTOPS 23.” - NATO
“NATO MCM Demonstrates Readiness with Real-World Benefit.” - US Navy
“30+ NATO warships arrive in Estonia for BALTOPS 2023.” - Estonian World
“Tartus uppunud välismaalane oli Eestis missioonil viibinud liitlassõdur.” - Tartu Postimees
“British soldier from 3rd Battalion The Rifles dies while on deployment in Estonia.” - Forces Net
“Royal Navy and Royal Marines at heart of UK showing in Estonia.” - Royal Navy
“RAF fighter pilot deployed to Estonia - what it’s like coming face-to-face with Russian aircraft in the skies.” - Forces Net
“BALTOPS 23 military drills taking place in Kurzeme, Latvia.” - Latvian Broadcasting
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NB! EstoNews on vacation!
Will return in July. Aitäh!
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Friday 9. June
Eesti suurendab Vene ohu tõttu järsult kaitseväe tulejõudu
(ERR)
"Meie julgeolekuolukord on muutnud. Ukraina konflikti eskalatsioon täiemahuliseks sõjaks andis ka meile ülesande riigikaitse arengukava, mis alles 2021. aasta lõpus kinnitati, üle vaadata," ütles kaitseminister Hanno Pevkur reedel peetud pressikonverentsil.”
https://www.err.ee/1609002884/eesti-suurendab-vene-ohu-tottu-jarsult-kaitsevae-tulejoudu
“Kaitseinvesteeringute keskus avas Lääne-Virumaal uue linnavõitluslinnaku.” - Postimees
Eesti pani patriarh Kirilli sissesõidukeeluga inimeste nimekirja
(ERR)
“Välisminister Margus Tsahkna kehtestas reedel uuesti Magnitski nimekirja, millega keelatakse Eestisse sisenemine 58 inimesele, sealhulgas Venemaa õigeusu kiriku juhile patriarh Kirillile ning üheksale inimõiguste eest võitleva Vladimir Kara-Murza tagakiusajale ja vangistajale.”
https://www.err.ee/1609002965/eesti-pani-patriarh-kirilli-sissesoidukeeluga-inimeste-nimekirja
“Estonia re-ups entry ban on head of Russian church.” - Politico Europe
Ukraina teadlane: Kahhovka üleujutus võib laiali kanda Tšornobõli saastet
(Novaator)
“Kahhovka tammi häving põhjustas enneolematu keskkonnakatastroofi, mille käigus võib koos paisjärve põhjamudaga levida ka Tšornobõli tuumakatastroofist tekkinud radioaktiivne saaste, nendib Ternopili Volodõmõr Hnatjuki Riikliku Pedagoogikaülikooli bio- ja molekulaarbioloogia professor Oksana Stoljar.”
“Brigaadikindral: Kahhovka tammi purustamine oli rumal diversioon.” - ERR
Russia and Belarus have refused Estonia's OSCE 2024 chairmanship
(Deutsche Welle)
“… leaving diplomats and security analysts questioning the security body's purpose.”
—
The OSCE is comprised of 57 members, including Russia, Ukraine, the US and European countries. Every year, one member state assumes the chair, steering the organization by convening discussions on stopping conflicts and taking action against countries that are guilty of human rights abuses, among other things.
The OSCE chair is currently held by North Macedonia, with Bujar Osmani, the foreign minister of the country, as the incumbent. Finland is set to assume the role in 2025. But for 2024, while Estonia has already submitted its bid for chairmanship, Minsk and Moscow have rejected Tallinn's application.”
https://www.dw.com/en/is-the-osces-future-in-crisis/a-65867647
Poll of Estonians / Russian-Estonians
(ERR)
“Of all Estonian residents, 65 percent define themselves as Estonian alone. Twenty-two percent of the total were Estonian-Russians, or Russian-speaking Estonians, or Estonian/Russian, depending on how they define themselves. A further 8 percent of respondents defined themselves as Russian-only, while 5 percent of all residents stated that they were of any other nationality.”
—
“Among Russian citizens resident in Estonia, 38 percent define themselves solely as Russian, though just over half of Russian citizens residing in Estonia (51 percent) in fact answered that they were Estonian-Russian, Russian-speaking Estonian, or both Estonian and Russian.”
Estonia’s ID software update needed to access state e-services
(Estonian World)
“… starting from 13 June. Users whose ID software has not been updated for over a year will no longer be able to log in to state e-services.”
Seismic data adds to evidence Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam was blown up
(The Guardian)
“Evidence is growing that the Nova Kakhovka dam was blown up, after the publication of seismic data showing there was a blast at the site in the early hours of Tuesday.”
—
“The Ukrainian government has said Russian occupying forces had control of the hydroelectric infrastructure on top of the dam and were using it as a garrison at the time of the blast. Explosive experts have said it would be much easier to blow up the dam from within than by firing on it from a distance.”
“Russia destroyed Kakhovka dam ‘in despair,’ - Estonian brigadier general.” - New Voice of Ukraine via Yahoo
“Drone footage shows devastation, no evidence to back Russian claims.” - AP
“A visual guide to the collapse of Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam.” - Guardian
Thursday 8. June
Eesti metsatagavara kukkus, raiemaht kasvas
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“Keskkonnaagentuuri täna avaldatud statistilise metsainventeerimise (SMI) värskete andmete kohaselt raiuti mullu metsa 11,4 miljonit tihumeetrit ja Eesti metsade puidutagavara kahanes võrreldes aastataguse esitlusega seitse, kuue aastaga kokku 33 miljonit tihumeetrit (m³). Samal ajal esitles keskkonnaagentuur metsa juurdekasvu andmeid, mille järgi nagu oleks majandusmetsas puitu hoopis juurde kasvanud - 13,2 miljonit tihumeetrit. Juurdekasvu ja raiemahu numbrit võrreldes pidanuks Eesti kogu metsatagavara justkui ligi kahe miljoni tihumeetri võrra kasvama (13,2 – 11,4 = 1,8), mitte seitsme miljoni võrra kahanema.”
https://www.postimees.ee/7791860/kannuvaljad-eesti-metsatagavara-kukkus-raiemaht-kasvas
Ukraine reportedly has begun counteroffensive against Russia
(ABCNews)
“Well-trained Ukrainian troops had been gathering at strategic locations near the front lines in recent days, Western officials said last week. Two Ukrainian officials, including a source close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed that an active phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is underway.”
https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/russia-ukraine-war/?id=99926452
“Intense fighting reported as Ukrainian forces go on attack south of Zaporizhzhia.” - The Guardian
The True Purpose of Ukraine’s Counteroffensive
By Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic
“Kyiv needs to show Russians that the war is not worth fighting.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/ukraine-counteroffensive-russia-goals/674333/
Opinion: Russia’s armed forces fighting among themselves
(The Guardian)
“… it’s hard to know who’s in control.”
“Russia Witnessing Start of Disintegration of Its Army.” - Paul Goble
Wednesday 8. June
Venemaa GPS-signaali segamine kandus juunis Eesti ja Läti territooriumile
(ERR)
“Venemaa GPS-signaali segamine kandus juuni alguses ka Eesti ja Läti territooriumile, praeguseks on häiringud lõppenud. … Hinnanguline häirete allikas asub Leningradi oblasti piirkonnas Venemaal, mille mõju võis vähesel määral kanduda ka Eesti õhuruumi.”
Russia ramps up GPS jamming, hitting signals in Baltics, Estonia, Finland
(Tech Times)
“Russia has been jamming Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in some of its regions as part of its defensive measures from unknown attacks, and it also affected areas near its border. GPS signals across most of Estonia, some parts of the Baltic region, and Finland have reportedly been hit by interference recently.It has affected airlines in the process, resulting in pilots using alternate navigation systems.”
“Spike in Russian GPS interference hit Estonia in early June.” - ERR
NATO saadab oma suurimate õhuväeõppustega sõnumi Venemaale
(Postimees | ERR)
“NATO alustab järgmisel nädalal oma ajaloo suurimaid õhujõudude õppusi Euroopas, ütlesid täna Saksa ja USA ametnikud, kes nimetasid seda muu hulgas sõnumiks Venemaale. Õppusi Air Defender 23 juhib Saksamaa, need algavad esmaspäeval ja kestavad kümme päeva. Osa võtab 220 sõjalennumasinat 25 NATO ja partnerriigist. Õppustel on kavas operatiiv- ja taktikaline väljaõpe peamiselt Saksamaal, aga ka Tšehhis, Eestis ja Lätis.”
https://maailm.postimees.ee/7791198/nato-saadab-oma-suurimate-ohuvaeoppustega-sonumi-venemaale
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https://www.err.ee/1609000760/nato-viib-saksamaa-juhtimisel-labi-ajaloo-suurimad-ohujoudude-oppused
“Nursipalu kiirkorras laiendamist võimaldav eelnõu läbis teise lugemise.” - ERR
Estonia’s parliament seeks international tribunal for Russian crimes in Ukraine
(TVP)
“Efforts to establish the tribunal have been called “an Estonian foreign policy priority. The bill calls for individual accountability of those involved in the planning, preparation, initiation and commission of the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and for the establishment of a special international tribunal under the auspices of the United Nations for this purpose.”
Estonia must learn to turn science into capital, says Tartu rector Toomas Asser
(Science Business, login required)
“… recently appointed for a second term at the helm of the University of Tartu, has big plans for changing how knowledge is translated from lab to market.”
Estonia issues stamp honoring Finland's Nato membership
(ERR | Yle)
“Estonia unveiled the stamp during a presentation at the Finnish Embassy in Tallinn. The stamp's designer, Jaan Saar, chose white and blue as the main colours, mirroring those of the Finnish flag.”
—
https://news.err.ee/1608996487/omniva-issues-new-stamp-to-commemorate-finland-joining-nato
Kaja Kallas Visits Singapore
(Singapore Government)
“… to meet with President Halimah Yacob and she inaugurated the Estonian Embassy in Singapore with Acting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.”
https://www.mfa.gov.sg/Newsroom/Press-Statements-Transcripts-and-Photos/2023/06/20230605kajawv
Digitalisation and personalisation – how Estonian universities look into the future
By Marii Kangur, Estonian World
“The rapid start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 challenged all the fields everywhere in the world – how to adapt to the situation as fast as possible? Estonian higher education experts say it helped foster digital competences and skills.”
Citizens' initiative calls for Russian consulate closure on the Åland Islands
(Yle)
“Citizens had launched an initiative calling for the closure of the Russian consulate in Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands. The Soviet Union established the consulate on the island in 1940 to oversee Åland's demilitarisation after the Winter War. Its presence has drawn criticism since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.”
“Former ambassador to Moscow urges Finland to close Russia's Åland consulate.” - Yle
“Finnish businessman was handed a €121,000 speeding ticket on Åland Island.” - ABCNews
Europeans who see Russia as adversary double in number since 2021
(The Guardian)
“A multi-country survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) also found a large majority in favour of the EU boosting its defence capabilities.”
“Is Moldova Putin’s next target?” - DW
- Putin’s Forever War -
Dam sabotage creates Ukraine’s worst environmental disaster since Chernobyl
(Politico)
“The catastrophe happened early Tuesday when explosions tore through the colossal Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in southern Ukraine — draining one of the Continent's largest artificial reservoirs. It forced the evacuation of thousands of people downstream, polluted land, destroyed a large electricity generator and will cause future problems with water supplies."
—
“Ten natives of the town of Oleshky and the village of Kardashynka, located some 20 kilometers and 36 kilometers southeast of the city of Kherson respectively, told POLITICO that locals tried to flee immediately after the dam blasts — but Russian troops blocked them and forced them to return home to wait for an official list of evacuees who would be bussed out of the area.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/dam-sabotage-ukraine-worst-environmental-disaster-chernobyl/
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“Russia’s propaganda media is doing its best to downplay the Kakhovka dam breach.” - Meduza
“Ukraine evacuates 17,000 people from flooded areas after dam was destroyed.” - France24
“Russia sabotaged dam as ‘weapon of mass destruction’ says Ukraine.” - Politico
“Western leaders accuse Russia of war crime over dam destruction.” - Politico
“Putin labels dam attack ‘barbaric.’ World says he orchestrated it.” - Politico
“‘They hate us so much’: Villagers flee flooding after dam attack.” - Guardian
Russian Offensive Campaign
Assessments: 6. thru 8. June
(ISW)
“The destruction of the KHPP dam is affecting Russian military positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. … Russian forces did not consider the consequences before destroying the dam and were too concerned over a Ukrainian counteroffensive.”
—
“NYT reported that a blast within an enclosed space would cause the most damage, whereas external detonations – such as by targeted missile or artillery strikes – would only exert a fraction of the force necessary to breach the dam.”
—
“The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP) dam is significantly changing the geography and topography of the Kherson frontline sector in southern Ukraine.”
—
“Ukraine has conducted counteroffensive operations with differential outcomes in at least three sectors of the front as part of wider counteroffensive efforts that have been unfolding since Sunday, June 4.”
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-6-2023
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https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-7-2023
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https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-8-2023
How Putin’s War Became Russia’s War
(Foreign Affairs)
“The Country Will Struggle to Reckon With Its Crimes in Ukraine.”
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russian-federation/how-putins-war-became-russias-war
Russian President's years in Germany seem less exciting than the stories
(Spiegel)
“Ever since the former spy ascended to become Russia’s leader, researchers, journalists and biographers have been combing through his years of service in East Germany from 1985 to 1990. In the eagerness to find new details, fact and fiction have sometimes blurred, and somewhere along the line, the man from Leningrad gained the reputation for being a Soviet super agent.”
—
“The literature is full of speculation about Hollywood-like special missions in which Putin is alleged to have been involved: a secret operation to overthrow the East German government; the establishment of a network of agents made up of defected Stasi employees; or the blackmail of a toxic materials researcher, on whom pornographic material was to be planted.”
The Rise of the Troll King:
How Yevgeny Prigozhin Came to Power
By Cathy Young, The Bulwark
“After drones mysteriously attacked Moscow late last month—were they from Ukraine, or from pro-Ukraine guerilla units inside Russia? were they a Russian false flag operation?—the reaction from the Russian side that got the most attention was not Vladimir Putin’s nor that of any of his TV propagandists.”
—
“Rather, it was the colorful, angry, obscenity-laced tirade from Wagner Private Military Company head Yevgeny Prigozhin. In an audio message posted to his Telegram channel, Prigozhin did not lash out at the Ukrainians but at the “stinking animals” from the ministry of defense: “Get your assholes out of the offices where they put you to defend this country! . . . Why the fuck are you letting these drones fly into Moscow?”
https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/troll-king-prigozhin-really-rose-to-power
“Wagner boss Prigozhin’s plans for Russia.” - Novaya Gazeta
“Yevgeny Prigozhin - the man who may succeed Vladimir Putin.” - NY Post
“Wagner captures Russian commander as Prigozhin feud with army escalates.” - The Guardian
“Wagner Parades Captured Russian Colonel as Feud With Kremlin Boils Over.” - The Daily Beast
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