Northern lights will likely be more visible in Estonia this autumn
(ERR)
“Biologist and nature photographer Urmas Tartes said the northern lights are likely to be more active than usual in the coming months. If they are strong, they should be visible across Estonia.”
https://news.err.ee/1609447924/northern-lights-more-visible-in-estonia-this-autumn
“Sünoptik Kairo Kiitsak: käimas on üsna tugev magnettorm.” - Postimees
“Finland: Spectacular Northern Lights show to continue.” - Yle
Drone incident in Latvia shows need to beef up Baltic air defense
(The Baltic Times)
“Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned violations of NATO airspace by the aggressor and called for strengthening air defense in the Baltic countries following the crash of a Russian military drone in Latvia on Saturday.”
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“Lithuania condemns Russia's violations of NATO airspace and supports the allies affected,” Nauseda posted on X on Sunday. “The new incident in Latvia shows that we need to strengthen the air defense of the Baltic States. The rotational model of air defense must be adapted as agreed at the [NATO] summit in Vilnius,” the Lithuanian leader stressed.”
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“An unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in the Rezekne region on Saturday, the Latvian Defense Ministry reported. The ministry pointed out that according to the initial data, this was a Russian drone of military significance and, according to the information available to the National Armed Forces (NBS), it flew into Latvian airspace from Belarus.”
“Latvian Armed Forces Learning from Russian Drone Incident.” - LSM
“Russia produces kamikaze drone with Chinese engine.” - Reuters
“NATO Members Romania, Latvia Accuse Russia Of Violating Airspace With Military Drones.” - RFERL
Läti president: NATO hävitajate väljasaatmise korda tuleb muuta
(ERR)
“NATO hävitajate väljasaatmise korda tuleb muuta, ütles Läti president Edgars Rinkevics pärast riigi julgeolekunõukogu istungit. Lõhkeainet kandva Venemaa drooni lendamine Läti kohal on tekitanud ühiskonnas palju küsimusi nii riigi kaitsevõimekuse, otsuste langetamise kui ka rahva teavitamise kohta.”
https://www.err.ee/1609449731/lati-president-nato-havitajate-valjasaatmise-korda-tuleb-muuta
“Õhuvägi: ilmselt ei nõudnud Vene drooni sattumine Lätti hävitajate õhkutõstmist.” - ERR
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How the Singing Revolution Sparked Independence
By Silver Tambur, Estonian World
“… in the summer of 1988. Following the pivotal events of the Singing Revolution, Estonia’s journey to independence gained swift momentum.”
https://estonianworld.com/culture/estonia-how-the-singing-revolution-sparked-independence/
“Eesti president saabus Kiievisse.” - Estonian World Review
“Estonia’s historical experience & resilience.” - Macdonald-Laurier Institute
“Hundreds of customs violations at Narva border since full checks started.” - ERR
“Three Steps to Buying an Apartment in Estonia.” - The Baltic Times
“Tallinna kalmistutel on sagenenud hauakivide vargused.” - ERR
“Contract signed for construction of unique section of Rail Baltic route in Estonia.” - Baltic Times
“Estonia might be the least-earthquake-prone place on the planet.” - The Travel Blog
Without ammunition even NATO cannot prevent war reaching Estonia
(ERR)
“Former head of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) Gen. Martin Herem said that if the EDF does not receive at least €1.6 billion worth of ammunition, then in the event of a Russian attack, military combat would take place on Estonian territory even if NATO intervened at an early stage.”
“Toetus laskemoonaks 1,6 miljardi leidmiseks on valitsuses olemas.” - ERR
“Prime Minister Kristen Michal said there is support for finding €1.6 billion to buy ammunition.” - ERR
“Estonia to spend €500 million on military infrastructure.” - Militarnyi
“What Estonia can learn from Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power grid.” - Postimees
“Estonia terminates another agreement with Russia due to aggression against Ukraine.” - RBC Ukraine
“Politseijõud harjutasid Nursipalus idanaabri ränderünnaku peatamist.” - Postimees
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Around the Baltic Sea
The Big Baltic Sea Bomb Cleanup
by Paul Hockenos, Hakai Magazine
“… in their watery graves, the many land and naval mines, U-boat torpedoes, depth charges, artillery shells, chemical weapons, aerial bombs, and incendiary devices have corroded over almost 80 years. The Germans, like other dumping nations, long assumed that when the casings broke down, the vast ocean would simply dissolve pollutants into harmless fractions. About 25 years ago, scientists discovered that instead, the explosives remain live and are now oozing into the ecosystem and up the food chain.”
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“Over the years, the mounds of weaponry in the undersea dumping grounds have corroded and collapsed into one another, creating a gnarled, combustible mass of metals and explosive agents that make their recovery more complicated. The only options are to leave these or blow them up on-site. The best-case scenario is that all the Baltic’s most hazardous conventional munitions will finally be history by 2050, and work on the North Sea will be well underway. The worst case is that funding does not materialize and the mountains of explosives will continue to deteriorate en masse, emitting poisons.”
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/the-big-baltic-bomb-cleanup/
Latvian-Belarusian Border: Four Surveillance Towers Erected
(Latvian Broadcasting)
“Four out of six towers for border surveillance have been installed in the Daugava river section near the Latvian-Belarusian border … The construction of the towers will contribute to more effective and efficient control of the state border, and timely identification of cases of illegal border crossing and other violations in the border area.”
“Vene neonatsid hakkavad koostöös FSB-ga Soome piiril patrullima.” - Postimees
“Troubled and delayed Baltic high-speed rail project still set for completion by 2030.” - The Washington Post
“Vehicles registered in Belarus will not be allowed in Latvia.” - BNN
“Finland moves to block Russians' real estate deals.” - Yle
“Sweden’s juvenile gang crime wave will take a decade to fix.” - Politico
“Helsinki power utility plans to build small nuclear plant by 2035.” - Yle
Russian espionage, sabotage in Europe now ‘more likely’
(Politico Europe)
“Norway’s spy boss sounded the alarm about Russian sabotage in Europe on Tuesday, saying the Kremlin is becoming bolder in its hybrid warfare campaign.
“The risk level has changed,” Vice Admiral Nils Andreas Stensønes, who is head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service.”
“Norra luurejuht hoiatas, et Venemaa sabotaažioht Euroopas on suurenenud.” - Delfi
“Russian Spy Unit Hunted for Hacks in 26 Countries.” - Bloomberg
Russia’s Espionage War in the Arctic
By Ben Taub, The New Yorker
“For years, Russia has been using the Norwegian town of Kirkenes, which borders its nuclear stronghold, as a laboratory, testing intelligence operations there before replicating them across Europe.”
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/16/russias-espionage-war-in-the-arctic
Bolstering NATO’s Naval Deterrence in the High North
By Gonzalo Vázquez, CEPA
“The alliance needs a standing naval group to face the rising threat in the Arctic. Sweden and Finland’s accession gives a perfect opportunity for a strategic rethink. … NATO’s 2011 Alliance Maritime Strategy has become obsolete. The alliance needs a fresh approach to its northern flank as Russia continues its heavy investment in military facilities in the Arctic and increasingly works with China to exploit resources and open trade routes.”
https://cepa.org/article/bolstering-natos-naval-deterrence-in-the-high-north/
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- Putin’s Forever War -
Elavjõudu Venemaal hetkel jagub
Teet Kalmus, Estonian World Review
“Venemaa armee alustas Kurski oblastis vastupealetungi neli päeva tagasi ning seda saatis suur kisa z-blogijate poolt, kes lugesid üles järjest asulaid, mis kõik olevat enda kontrolli alla saadud. Meedias näidati lõpmatult ühte videot soomuskolonnist, mis liikus põhja poolt Snagosti suunal. Aga mida päev edasi, seda vaiksemaks z-blogijad jäid.”
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“Venemaa sõjaväelased panevad esimesel võimalusel lipu kasvõi asula äärde, et raporteerida asula äravõtmisest, aga nüüd lihtsalt ei ole mingeid tõendeid, mis kinnitaksid nende väidetavat suurt edu. Snagostini nad tõesti jõudsid, aga puudub kinnitus selle kohta, et nad oleksid terve asula enda kontrolli alla saanud. ISW kinnitab Venemaa armee väikest edenemist Višnevkast lääne pool ja Krasnooktjabrskist põhja pool, aga rohkem infot Venemaa edenemise kohta eileõhtuse seisuga ei olevat.”
https://www.eesti.ca/teet-kalmus-elavjoudu-venemaal-hetkel-jagub/article61219
“Russian Defence Ministry claims recapture of 10 Kursk region villages.” - Novaya Gazeta
“Need kaks linna on Ukraina idarinde võtmed.” - WSJ / Postimees
“Russians broke Ukrainian defenses in Kursk Oblast.” - Politico Europe
“Why have Kyiv’s three separate counteroffensives against invading Russian forces failed to turn the tide of the war?” - Novaya Gazeta
“Has Ukraine’s Kursk offensive fail to distract Russia from Donbas push?” - France24
Barbarous Actions of Russian Forces in Ukraine Product of Continuing Influence of Soviet Ideology
By Paul Goble
“Many observers blame the barbarity of Russian military actions in Ukraine on Putin, Dimitry Savin says. Putin certainly bears responsibility for these horrors, but their real source lies in the Soviet tradition of “ideologically motivated sadism and barbarism,” a tradition that the Russian Federation has continued as something that binds it together.”
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“From the outset, Soviet leaders blamed and targeted for attack not individuals responsible for specific actions but rather entire groups whose very existence was deemed unacceptable and thus whose destruction by any means including sadism and looting was held to be the highest good …”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/09/barbarous-actions-of-russian-forces-in.html
White House finalizing plans to expand where Ukraine can hit inside Russia
(Politico | The Guardian)
“The details of the plan are still coming together. But officials in Washington, London and Kyiv have in recent days discussed expanding the area inside Russia that Ukraine can hit with American and British-made weapons. They’ve also discussed how to prevent additional cross-border attacks by Russia, including the U.S. agreeing to allow Ukraine to use U.K. long-range missiles that contain American parts to strike inside Russia.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/11/white-house-weapons-ukraine-00178673
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“Putin threatens NATO amid reports of long-range weapons being allowed to strike inside Russia.” - The Hill
“Long-Range Arms Would Put NATO at ‘War With Russia’ – Putin.” - Moscow Times
“Kas Ukraina on saamas kauaoodatud luba USA rakettide kasutamiseks Venemaal?” - Postimees Arvamus
“Venemaal on vastukäik liitlaste kaugrakettidele, millega Ukraina tohib nüüd rünnata.” - Postimees Arvamus
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessments
September 10 / 11, 2024
(ISW)
“Russian forces began counterattacks along the western edge of the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast and reportedly seized several settlements northeast and south of Korenevo on September 10 and 11. The size, scale, and potential prospects of the September 11 Russian counterattacks in Kursk Oblast are unclear and the situation remains fluid as of this report.”
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“Available visual evidence suggests that Russian forces counterattacking in Kursk Oblast are operating in company-sized units and may be using elements of more combat-experienced units to conduct counterattacks.”
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“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on September 10 that Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) to Russia amid growing international condemnation of Tehran's support for Russia's war in Ukraine.”
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“Ukrainian forces conducted a large series of drone strikes in Russia on the night of September 9 to 10.”
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“Turkey’s Erdoğan backs return of Crimea to Ukraine as ‘a requirement of international law’.” - Novaya Gazeta
“Public Opinion in Russia Falls as Citizens Experience Reality of War.” - Jamestown Org.
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