Halloween in Estonia gets a boost this year thanks to bumper pumpkin harvest
(ERR)
“Although pumpkin salad remains a perennial Estonian Christmas favorite, and pumpkin soup is practically a must-have at this time of year, more and more people are buying winter squash specifically for Halloween decorations, following the U.S. influence.”
🎃
“Most supermarkets in Estonia are fairly stocked with Halloween items and promotions, meaning the annual event, popular with some but not others, seems to be growing in prominence. … The indigenous equivalents are Hingedepäev – All Soul's Day, Kadripäev and Mardipäev.”
https://news.err.ee/1609502512/halloween-gets-a-boost-this-year-thanks-to-bumper-pumpkin-harvest
“Arvamus: Repliik - Halloween’ i hiidlaine.” - Virumaa Teataja
Estonia to establish a 1,000-strong crisis unit to curb migration attacks
(ERR)
“Over the next ten years, Russia and Belarus may intensify their hybrid attacks on Europe's eastern border. To curb such threats, Estonia is proactively establishing a 1,000-member reserve unit to defend its eastern border.”
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“Estonia's border is actually relatively well protected," Marek Kohv, an expert at the International Center for Defense and Security, assured. "We've also reduced border traffic. Right now, the Narva border checkpoint is only open to pedestrians and only at certain times, and the same goes for the Luhamaa border checkpoint."
Opinion: The UN secretary-general spat in the face of international law
By Karl Sigmund Berting, Postimees
“There are few people in Estonia who need to be reminded that the conflict in Ukraine is black and white. There is an aggressor who attacked a sovereign country while dealing with its imperialist hangover. Unfortunately, it seems like it looks so only in our immediate region.”
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“… to go to Russia as head of the UN while the Russians continue to attack civilian sites in Ukraine on a daily basis is extremely unseemly and insulting. Moreover, it gives a clear propaganda victory to the Kremlin, which can definitely proclaim through all channels that ‘Russia is now back in the big game.’ It didn't take very long, did it?”
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“By cozying up to Putin, UN Secretary-General António Guterres undermines trust in the UN in our region.”
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EstoNews On-Line
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EstoNews Dropbox Archive
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Estonia carries out bunker prototype tests for envisioned Baltic defense line
(Breaking Defense)
“In collaboration with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, Estonia has completed the test phase of three bunker prototypes, attacking and then assessing the “weak points” of each design, as the four nations ramp up efforts to slow any future Russian ground invasion and shore up NATO’s Eastern flank.”
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“As part of the tests, “all of our neighbors were present, Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, and they’re all planning the same thing,” explained Magnus Saar, Estonia’s national armaments director. “Maybe we can share some designs, steal ideas from each other, because in the end, we are all one big operations area.”
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| Test Bunker Photo: Estonian Centre for Defence Investments |
Ämari lennurada avatakse 8. novembril
(Postimees)
“Muuhulgas saavad 14-aastane lennurada ja ruleerimisteed uue katte, paigaldatakse uus rajamärgistus ja valgustus.”
https://www.postimees.ee/8121567/amari-uus-lennurada-avatakse-novembri-alguses
NATO peasekretär Mark Rutte kohtus president Alar Karisega
(ERR | NATO)
“President Karis rõhutas NATO heidutuse ja kaitseplaanide olulisust. "Meil on head NATO kaitseplaanid olemas, kuid nüüd on ülioluline, et kõik liitlased täidaksid need vajalikus mahus vägede, võimete ja varudega," ütles president Karis. "Alles siis saame rääkida alliansi kaitsehoiaku tegelikust tugevdamisest, ja seeläbi tegelikust heidutusest," lausus ta.”
https://www.err.ee/1609499413/fotod-nato-peasekretar-rutte-kohtus-president-alar-karisega
—
https://www.err.ee/1609499170/rutte-eesti-kaitsekulutused-on-eeskuju-teistele-liitlastele
—
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/photos_229981.htm
Inside Estonia’s Defense-Tech Ecosystem
(Baltic Initiative | FPRI)
“Estonia is home to a burgeoning defense-tech ecosystem with established companies like Milrem Robotics — whose unmanned ground robots became so infamous on the Ukrainian battlefield that Russia put out a bounty in a desperate attempt to get their hands on one — and Baltic Workboats, which is leading the development of a semi-autonomous warship platform for EU naval forces. Just as important as these relatively established defense-tech firms, Estonia is home to one of the most dynamic early-stage defense ecosystems in the world outside of Ukraine. Startups like Frankenburg Technologies, which plans to produce anti-drone missile systems in Ukraine, have popped up with significant fanfare.”
https://fpribalticinitiative.substack.com/p/inside-estonias-defense-tech-ecosystem
Or:
https://www.fpri.org/article/2024/10/inside-estonias-defense-tech-ecosystem/
“Defense League to protect Estonia's energy infrastructure.” - Postimees
“United Kingdom Assigns Specific Brigade for the Defense of Estonia.” - Baltic Sentinel
“British Army’s Watchkeeper ISR drone demonstrates intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance capabilities over Estonia.” - Defence Industry Europe
“Estonian Military Accepts First G410 Transport Trucks From Scania.” - Defense Post
“Estonia mulls additional HIMARS weapon purchase.” - Breaking Defense
“Estonia is looking to acquire weapons and gear to hit an invading force before it reaches the country’s borders.” - Defense One
European Parliament hearings: Will Kaja Kallas Tone It Down?
By Rikard Jozwiak, RFERL
“The Parlament hearings of the 26 commissioners-designate will occur 4. November to 12. November. Each candidate will face three hours of grilling from members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in a committee relevant to their assigned portfolio. One commissioner-designate who is expected to sail through, however, is the prospective EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The former Estonian prime minister is considered one of the "stars" of European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen's new team. What will be interesting at her November 12 hearing is to see how much (if at all) she tones down her hawkish rhetoric on China and Russia in order to fit the new post, where diplomacy and finding consensus on foreign policy issues is of paramount importance.”
“SDE: Only Russian citizens opposing Ukraine war should vote in Estonia.” - ERR
“Prime minister: All Russian citizens in Estonia should lose the right to vote.” - ERR
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Around the Baltic Sea
“GPS disruptions interfering with ship traffic in Gulf of Finland.” - ERR
“Ohtlik adenoviirus kimbutab Soome kaitseväge.” - ERR
“Poland continues big spending to upgrade bases for US troops.” - Stars and Stripes
“Falling fertility rate: Finland to suspend baby box procurements.” - Yle
“Soome politsei uurib keelutsoonide lähistel lendavaid kahtlaseid droone.” - ERR
“Finnish children attend Kremlin-sponsored summer camp in Russian-occupied Crimea.” - Yle
“NATO anti-mine ships visit Rīga port.” - Latvian Broadcasting
“Finland’s forest carbon sinks have been overestimated, logging must be reduced.” - Yle
“Sweden signed up to be part of the European Long Range Strike Approach missile development project.” - Radio Sweden
“How a Russian troll factory planned to turn public opinion in Latvia against Ukraine.” - rebaltica
“Closing ranks: will Europe raise an army?” - TVP
“Number of tourists arriving in Riga have returned to pre-Covid levels.” - Baltic Times
“Norway extends border controls amid heightened terror threat.” - Daily Finland
“Regional stations are an important part of the Rail Baltica.” - Baltic Times
“Finland's unemployment rate hits 8.4% in September.” - Yle
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Commentary: Conscription in the Nordic and Baltic states
Universal, selective, and lottery-based
(OSW)
“In Finland and Estonia, military service is compulsory for men. While most nations in the region transitioned to professional expeditionary forces in the early 21st century, Finland maintained its conscript army, focused on territorial defence, and compulsory military service.”
—
“Estonia, which rebuilt its armed forces in the 1990s, largely adopted the Finnish model of conscription and total defence doctrine. Unlike Lithuania and Latvia, Estonia retained compulsory service after joining NATO, due to its smaller population and geographical isolation from key allies, which complicated the provision of military aid. Estonia’s proximity to the strategic Leningrad Oblast and St. Petersburg, both critical to Russia’s military interests, has also influenced this decision.”
Finland warns of hostile activities by Russia
By Anne Kauranen, Reuters
“Finland is experiencing suspicious acts of sabotage and disruption and believes Russia is engaged in broad-ranging influence operations against it and other European countries, Finland's Minister of Interior Lulu Ranne said.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-warns-hostile-activities-by-russia-2024-10-23/
Sweden plans to increase its armed forces by nearly 40,000 over the next decade
(The Baltic Sentinel)
“On October 15, Sweden unveiled its defense strategy for 2025–2030, planning to boost defense spending to 2.6% of GDP by 2028 and expand armed forces from 88,000 to 127,300 personnel by 2035. Sweden plans to invest a total of 174 billion kronor (15.4 billion euros) in national defense by 2030.”
NATO's New Challenge: The Uncertain Future of the Russian Military
(The National Interest)
“How much of a threat will Putin’s Russia be to NATO after the Ukraine war? At this point, we do not know how Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will end, whether with a deserved full restoration of Ukrainian territorial sovereignty or a Russian victory over Kyiv. Perhaps there will be some compromise between those extremes. However, concerning future Russian relations with the West, the even more important question involves how the Russian foreign policy elite, whoever that is, will view the conclusion of the war.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/natos-new-challenge-uncertain-future-russian-military-213359
Putin’s Forever War
Recent weeks have brought nothing but negative developments for Ukraine
(ERR)
“Lt. Col. Janek Kesselmann, deputy head of the Estonian Defense Intelligence Center, stated that the Russian armed forces have continued offensive operations along the entire front line, averaging about 178 attacks per day. Last weekend, the intensity even rose to 210 attacks per day …”
—
“Russia's recent tactics typically avoid direct entry into populated areas, as this would require more specialized training. … Instead, they encircle settlements and target them with indirect fire. Once a settlement is encircled, they essentially destroy it. It's a very cynical and brutal approach.”
—
“Russian losses are significant, and it appears that this month will see particularly high casualties for Russia. We estimate that the opponent may lose around 40,000 soldiers this month, both wounded and killed," Kesselmann concluded.”
Increasing sign-up bonuses for Russian soldiers signal falling support for Putin’s War
By Paul Goble
“In recent months, the bonuses offered by Moscow and regional governments have reached an average of more than five million rubles ($50,000) —potentially more, depending on the region. This amounts to vastly more than most civilians in the Russian Federation can expect to earn over many years.”
Brics summit: Moscow failed to win support for its invasion of Ukraine
(The Guardian)
“Brics summit backfired on Putin: The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, told the summit that there must be “no escalation of fighting” in Ukraine.”
—
“Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for avoiding escalation and initiating peace negotiations.”
—
“Alexander Lukashenko – the Belarusian president, who has stayed in power by running a client state of Russia – said in interviews broadcast on Wednesday that Putin deploying any foreign forces in the Ukraine conflict would inevitably lead to an escalation, possibly involving Nato troops.”
US and NATO confirm North Korean troops are now in Russia
(Politico Europe | Washington Post)
“The Kremlin's use of North Korean troops in the combat zone would mark a significant broadening of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, and could prompt Western allies to become more actively involved in the conflict.”
—
“None of the soldiers have been battlefield-tested.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/united-states-north-korean-troops-now-in-russia/
—
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/23/austin-north-korea-troops-russia/
“From isolation to battlefield: North Korean troops could face reality shock in Ukraine.” - France24
“Venemaale saadetud Põhja-Korea sõdureid ootab valesti käitumisel julm karistus.” - Postimees arvamus
“South Korea warns it may send Ukraine weapons after North Korea sent troops to Russia.” - NPR
“How North Korea is changing Russia's war in Ukraine.” - Deutsche Welle
“North Korean troops are ‘fair game’ if deployed to fight in Ukraine, US says.” — The Guardian
“North Korea Sent 1,500 More Troops to Russia, South Korea’s Spy Agency Tells Lawmakers.” - The Moscow Times
“Untested North Korean Pilots Could Fly Russian Warplanes in Ukraine.” - Newsweek
“First NK troops to arrive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on Wednesday.” - NV
“North Koreans Fighting for Russia.” - The Moscow Times
“Zelenskyy asks allies to act on reports of North Korean troops helping Russia.” - Politico
“Russia refuses to confirm North Korean troop support.” - BNE
Is Stalin-worship back in Russia?
(The Spectator)
“What are the Putinites up to in edging Stalin back towards respectability? Especially since annexing Crimea in 2014, the Russian state has systematically sought to remould attitudes among the Russian people. Whereas schoolchildren were once taught that Russians were the world’s most peace-loving nation, the Ministry of Education nowadays puts the emphasis on army skills for boys and girls as part of their war readiness.”
—
“The latest historical textbooks tell of Stalin’s wartime wisdom with less and less attention to his disastrous failure to anticipate Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa in 1941. Approved Russian authors ignore Stalin’s meat-grinder approach to warfare. Perhaps millions of his own citizens lost lives or limbs because of his way of fighting the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45. But that is the war that understandably continues to rally universal approval in today’s Russia.”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-stalin-worship-back-in-russia/
Ukraine's population has fallen by 10 million since Russia's invasion - UN
(Reuters)
“… as a result of refugees leaving, collapsing fertility and war deaths.”
Interview: Pro-democracy, anti-Putin activist Yulia Navalnaya
(MSNBC)
“… widow of Russian opposition leader and political prisoner Alexei Navalny.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuiVpoM-tmU
“Alexey Navalny’s widow Yulia to run for Russian presidency.” - BNE
“How did Alexei Navalny stand up to a totalitarian regime?” - The Atlantic
“Navalny memoirs spark mix of curiosity, indifference in Moscow.” - France24
Seven NATO member states reportedly reluctant to invite Ukraine to alliance
(Novaya Gazeta)
“Citing four US and NATO officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, Politico said that the US and Germany were among the “major powers slow-walking” Kyiv’s ongoing calls for Ukraine to be invited to the alliance, with Belgium, Slovenia and Spain “hiding behind” US and German opposition. Hungary and Slovakia, both known for their pro-Kremlin sympathies and reluctance to support Kyiv, were the other countries resisting an invitation for Ukraine.”
“Scholzi sõnul ei saa Ukraina praegu NATOga ühineda.” - Postimees
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessments
22. October 2024
(ISW)
“South Korea may be considering directly sending weapons and intelligence personnel to Ukraine in response to the reported deployment of North Korean troops to Russia to participate in Russia's war in Ukraine.”
—
“A recent Russian opinion poll suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoys widespread support among Russian citizens even though many do not agree with some of the Kremlin's policies, including the war in Ukraine.”
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-22-2024
‘End justifies the means’: high Russian death toll fails to shift opinion on war
(The Guardian)
“Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russia is believed to have suffered catastrophic losses, reportedly losing up to 90% of the personnel it had at the onset of the conflict. September was a particularly deadly month for the Russian army, according to US, British and other European officials, with an average of more than 1,000 of its soldiers injured or killed each day.”
—
“But crucially for Moscow, the massive casualties have neither provoked significant public discontent within Russian society nor discouraged potential new recruits. … According to western assessments, Russian casualties in the war so far tally up to 115,000 killed and 500,000 wounded. … Before the war, such casualties would have seemed unimaginable. Now, it appears that the generals hardly care as long as they meet Putin’s demands.”
“Why should Putin negotiate?” - The Spectator
“Putin to Bring Back Stalin-Era Sports Parades in Red Square.” - Paul Goble
“The Kremlin is now targeting Russian children as young as three with its pro-war propaganda.” - Novaya Gazeta
Russia's GRU Thugs Double Down on Recruiting Cybercriminals
(Lawfare)
“A Mandiant report from April this year suggested that Sandworm (aka Unit 74455 of the GRU), was acquiring tools and bulletproof hosting services from criminal marketplaces. Now Russian intelligence services are taking the next logical step and are directly acquiring people from the criminal talent pool.”
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/russia's-gru-thugs-double-down-on-recruiting-cybercrooks
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