Estonia, Finland are establishing plans to defend the Gulf of Finland
(ERR)
“Defense Forces (EDF) Commander Maj. Gen. Andrus Merilo said military cooperation between Finland and Estonia is increasing and focused on maritime defense. … the goal is to establish specific plans that allow the Allies to close the Gulf of Finland to Russian ships in case of danger.”
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"We calculated the number of missiles needed to neutralize the Russian Baltic Fleet and concluded that the Baltic Sea countries should invest a collective billion euros to significantly limit the fleet's activities. This led to my earlier recommendation to acquire anti-ship missiles."
https://news.err.ee/1609468303/estonia-finland-establishing-plans-to-defend-gulf-of-finland
Closing off the Gulf of Finland to the Russians
By Historian Jüri Kotšinev, Postimees opinion
“In 1927 … Estonian and Finnish coastal batteries were to block the passage of the Soviet Union's military fleet in the sea area between Tallinn and Helsinki. … The project of blocking the Gulf of Finland was taken into consideration again in 1939, and on the basis of this, joint Finnish and Estonian naval exercises took place at the end of the summer of 1939. Then, the project to block the Gulf of Finland ended with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact concluded between Germany and the Soviet Union.”
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“It is safe to say that everything new is well-forgotten old, but the plan to block the Gulf of Finland is not so old. The membership of both Estonia and Finland in the NATO bloc makes the realization of this plan possible.”
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Cover artwork:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metsamaastik,_Viktor_Aleksejev,_EKM_j_3933_M_2575.jpg
EstoNews On-Line
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EstoNews Dropbox Archive:
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Ametnikud tunnistasid lõpuks üles: metsa on aastaid üle raiutud
Ülle Harju, Postimees ajakirjanik
“Puidutöösturid ja üldsus, kes kõik on uskunud juttu, justkui metsa kasvaks rohkem juurde, kui raiutakse, on petta saanud – keskkonnaagentuur avaldas lõpuks graafiku, mis näitab mastaapset üleraiet juba üle kümne aasta. Kümne aastaga on Eestis raiutud metsa rohkem, kui seda 12 aastaga kasvada jõudis. Keskkonnaagentuur avalikustas olukorra alles nüüd, muutes radikaalselt varem tõe pähe esitatud vastupidiseid andmeid.”
https://www.postimees.ee/8101755/ametnikud-tunnistasid-lopuks-ules-metsa-on-aastaid-ule-raiutud
“Kliimamuutused toovad Eesti metsadesse üha enam haigusi ja kahjureid.” - Novaator
Venemaa eemaldatud poide tõttu on Narva jõel piiririkkumiste arv kasvanud
(ERR)
“"Pea kõik selle aasta lõikes toimunud ebaseaduslikud ajutise kontrolljoone ületused on toimunud nendes kohtades, kus Vene pool maikuus omaalgatuslikult kergpoid eemaldas. Praktiliselt on need igapäevased juhtumid, kõige rohkem just nädalavahetustel," ütles Ida prefektuuri piiri-ja migratsioonijärelevalvetalituse juht Erik Liiva.”
“Removal by Russia of Narva River buoys leads to surge in border violations.” - ERR
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"Address by the President of the Republic of Estonia Alar Karis at the 79th United Nations General Assembly." - UN Transcript
"President Karis ÜRO-s: Eestil on palju saari, mida mõjutab otseselt veetaseme tõus.” - Postimees
“Lisalaskemoona 1,6 miljardist eurost on eelarvestrateegias reaalselt pool.” - ERR
“Estonian village to change name over 'Russia connection’.” - ERR
“Talv pole kaugel: Tallinn alustas riigi tähtsaima jõulukuuse otsimist.” - Postimees
“Interview: Kaupo Rosin, Estonian Foreign Intelligence Chief.” - Deutsche Welle
“Claim: Tallinn-Pärnu stretch of Rail Baltica could potentially be ready as early as 2028-2029.” - ERR
"Euroopa Komisjoni uuring: eestlased tunnevad oma õigusi ja vabadusi teistest paremini.” - Postimees
“Thousands of Russians, Belarusians still using Estonia's e-residency scheme.” - ERR
"NATO Tightens Baltic Air Policing After September 7 Russian Shahed Attack Drone Crash in Latvia.” - The Baltic Sentinel
"Aga äkki soomeugrilased ei hääbugi.” - Sirp
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Around the Baltic Sea
Moscow Focusing on Åland Islands as Target in Event of War With NATO
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“This Russian attention reflects the islands’ location astride key trade routes in the Baltic Sea and their complicated legal status. By international accord, they are neutral and demilitarized even though Finland, which has sovereignty there, is now in NATO. Many Finns have called on Helsinki to end this anomaly, but the Finnish government has resisted. New Russian commentaries about the Åland Islands and a Russian naval exercise near them could change that and make them a new hotspot in East-West relations.”
https://jamestown.org/program/moscow-focusing-on-aland-islands-as-target-in-event-of-war-with-nato/
Russia’s shadow tankers threaten a Baltic Sea environmental catastrophe
By Elisabeth Braw, CEPA
“… this collection of aging vessels carrying enormous amounts of sanctioned Russian crude to recipients such as India and China poses a serious and immediate risk to the waters they traverse. They not only lack proper insurance but are also old and poorly maintained. Indeed, many shadow vessels were destined for the junkyard until secretive entities saw the opportunity to make money and snapped them up. And these days, the export of oil — especially above the price cap set by Western nations — is how Russia makes money to fund its war machine.”
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“That means that a whole lot of old, poorly maintained tankers carrying Russian oil sail through the Baltic Sea towards the Danish Straits and on to their eventual destinations. These vessels pose a considerable risk to the marine environment.”
https://cepa.org/article/russias-shadow-tankers-threaten-baltic-environmental-catastrophe/
“What Russian research vessels are doing in the Baltic Sea.” - ERR
“New Swedish law enables government funding for babysitting grandparents.” - Euronews
“Finland’s birth rate remains low.” - Daily Finland
“Norway rejects asylum claim from Russian fleeing mobilisation.” - Novaya Gazeta Europe
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Putin’s Forever War
Ukraina ütleb et Venemaa plaanib rünnata tuumajaamu
(Postimees)
“Ukraina on juba nädalapäevad kommunikeerinud, et Venemaa plaanib rünnata Ukraina tuumaelektrijaamu. Eile Ukraina meedias avaldatud kokkuvõte luureandmetest kõneleb, et eesmärk ei ole mitte rünnata reaktoreid, vaid tuumaelektrijaamade ühendusi elektrivõrkudega.”
“Raivo Vare: see talv tuleb Ukrainale väga raske.” - Postimees
“Orbáni nõunik: Ungari poleks Venemaa sissetungi vastu võidelnud.” - Delfi
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 26, 2024
(ISW)
“Russian exiled opposition outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on September 25 that it identified an FSB Spetsnaz servicemember who died fighting in Kursk Oblast in August 2024 — confirming that elements of FSB Spetsnaz are fighting in Kursk Oblast.”
Russians Paying Ever Less Attention to Ukrainian Military Presence in Kursk
By Paul Goble
“Abbas Gallyamov … former Putin speechwriter who now is a Putin critic says that in fact what is going on is this: the Russian people have recognized that Moscow has suffered a defeat in Ukraine and are now looking beyond it. That is hardly good news from the Kremlin, however much Putin may want to see it that way.”
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“For the population of a country to accept the loss of its territory by the military action of another is exactly the opposite of what its government should want. Ukrainians haven’t accepted the loss of their territories in Crimea and the Donbass, but the Russians seem quite prepared to accept the loss of Kursk Oblast as something entirely normal.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/09/russians-paying-ever-less-attention-to.html
Commentary: Putin’s Silence on Kursk Offensive Might Be a Giant Mistake
By Ryan Bauer, National Interest
“For starters, Putin waited a week before issuing his first public comments about the Ukrainian offense during a brief televised meeting with military personnel and governors. Putin appeared uneasy in the meeting and cut remarks from Kursk’s then-acting regional governor when he began discussing territory seized by Ukraine. Two weeks after the start of the offensive, as Ukrainian troops continued to advance, Putin went on a two-day trip to Azerbaijan to discuss improving trade ties without mentioning the Kursk offensive. Putin’s silence prompted Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen Akhmat special forces, to become a primary surrogate voice on the topic, a move Putin likely tolerated as a means of distancing himself.”
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“Putin’s primary strategy has been to downplay the severity of the incursion, referring to it as a provocation. Russian officials and Russian media have followed Putin’s lead, making multiple assertions over the past month that the offensive had been halted despite evidence to the contrary. While Putin’s approach is likely aimed at distancing himself from the battlefield realities and reducing public concerns about the incursion, there are clear signs of cracks in this approach.”
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“In direct contrast to reports from the Defense Ministry, Russian military bloggers have also provided a more accurate accounting of continued Ukrainian advances, publicly rejecting the government’s accounting as lies.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/putin’s-silence-kursk-offensive-might-be-giant-mistake-212908
"NATO’s Outgoing Leader Stoltenberg Reflects on Missed Opportunities in Ukraine.” - Jamestown Org.
"NATO’s Outgoing Leader Stoltenberg Reflects on Missed Opportunities in Ukraine (Part Two).” - Jamestown Org.
Kremlin pulled sailors off the decrepit aircraft carrier ‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ and sent them to fight and die in Ukraine
(Forbes)
“Admiral Kuznetsov, the Russian navy’s only aircraft carrier, hasn’t deployed in eight years—and it’s increasingly unlikely it will ever deploy again. That helps explain why, in recent months, the Kremlin reportedly reassigned the aging ship’s sailors [approximately a 1,500-person crew] to the army—and sent them into battle in Ukraine.”
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“It’s a startling revelation that underscores the Russian army’s manpower crisis as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds toward its 31st month—and also underlines the decrepit state of the Russian navy’s biggest warships, most of which are Cold War leftovers.”
"The Kremlin is hunting down ordinary people across the world, and nobody seems to care.” - New York Times Opinion
"Putin kutsus tegema muudatusi Venemaa tuumadoktriinis.” - Postimees
"Putin proposes changing Russia’s nuclear doctrine to allow attacks on non-nuclear states.” - Meduza
“Hungary would have given in to Russia, says Orbán’s top aide.” - Politico Europe
Georgia - The invasion Russia doesn’t want you to know about
By Johnny Harris, YouTube
“Russia is occupying parts of Georgia, affecting the lives of the people who live there. This is their story.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sge5Y-G8Jds
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