94 Estonian citizens are listed for deportation from the U.S.
(U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
[Enforcement and Removal Operations list, page 2.]
[U.S. media recently published a list of approximately 1.5 million immigrants, including 94 Estonian citizens, who are reportedly being scheduled to be deported from the country. The Estonian government is aware of the U.S. authorities' plan, but has not received official information nor justifications for why the Estonian citizens must leave the United States.]
Ameerika Ühendriigid kavatsevad välja saata 94 Eesti kodanikku
Andres Einmann, Postimees
“Välisministeeriumi meediabüroo direktor Liisa Toots ütles Postimehele, et Eesti on teadlik USA ametkondade plaanist, ent ei ole saanud ametlikku informatsiooni ega põhjendusi, mis põhjustel inimesed peavad Ameerika Ühendriikidest lahkuma.”
—
“Teadaolevalt puudutab see otsus ka Eesti kodanikke. Eesti võtab oma kodanikud tagasi ja kui nad vajavad tagasipöördumiseks dokumente, siis meie välisesindused on neid alati valmis aitama. Välisministeerium aga ei saa tasuda inimeste reisimise ja majutusega seotud kulusid,’ märkis Toots.”
https://www.postimees.ee/8183636/ameerika-uhendriigid-kavatsevad-valja-saata-94-eesti-kodanikku
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Cover illustration
used with permission:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Sõnad-Esto-Words-61558322785115/
EstoNews On-Line:
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EstoNews Dropbox Archive:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1kvd04gtar6ty2b/AADCUK2J_RXcMyIYf_sjnAwoa?dl=0
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Estonia losing dozens of drones due to Russian GPS interference
(ERR)
“Last week, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said it had established a five-kilometer-long ‘no-fly’ zone along the eastern border. The security services have already lost several dozen drones, and private citizens have faced the same problems. This is the first time the state has reacted to the GPS problems that experts have been monitoring for several years.”
—
“According to experts, Russia mainly uses its GLONASS positioning system, and the main goal of jamming GPS is to prevent Ukrainian drones from attacking infrastructure. Both Pskov military airfield and the port of Ust-Luga are located close to the Estonian-Russia border and have come under attack.”
https://news.err.ee/1609590611/estonia-losing-drones-to-russian-gps-interference
“Finland and Ukraine develop advanced combat drone ‘Steel Eagle’.” - Helsinki Times
.
Finland and Estonia launch real-time radiation monitoring system
(Helsinki Times)
“The system builds upon the long-standing information exchange between Finland and Estonia. Teet Koitjärv, Adviser at the Climate and Radiation Department of the Estonian Environmental Board, highlighted the reliability of the new system. "While we have shared information in the past, the new arrangement guarantees uninterrupted and real-time data flow. If the radiation levels change in either country, authorities will report it without delay.” Finland's radiation monitoring network includes 255 measurement points, while Estonia operates 15 stations. The data collected by these networks allows for continuous monitoring of environmental radiation across both nations.”
What Taylor Swift Can Teach Us About Being Proud Estonians
By Kaarin Lupp and Kaili (Lupp) Colford
(Eesti Elu)
“Swifties are like a global family—one that feels like home no matter where we are. We get that. Whether it's a Jõuluvana (Santa) visit or a laager (camp) hang, Estonians flourish when we celebrate traditions together and lift each other up.”
President Alar Karis launches
‘Year of the Estonian Book’
(ERR)
“This year marks 500 years since the earliest known publishing of an Estonian-language book."
“Eesti Raamatu Aasta 2025.” - Facebook
“Õed Kaili ja Kaarin hoolitsevad eestikeelse kirjasõna alalhoidmise eest Kanadas.” - Eesti Elu
“Estonian dialect vocabularies kept fresh by newspapers, enthusiasts.” - ERR
“Toomas Hendrik Ilves: I want to commit to writing what I've long wanted to say.” - ERR
“Eesti raamatu aasta algab 30. jaanuaril päikesetõusuga Tartus.” - Vabariigi Presidendi Kantselei
Intervjuu: Peaprokuröriks saav Astrid Asi
Űlle Harju, Postimees
“Ei saa öelda ei minister ega keegi teine, mis laadi otsuseid ma pean tegema.”
III maailmasõjast päästab meid Venemaa lüüasaamine Ukrainas
Marko Mihkelson, Edasi Org. - 20. jaan
“Eesti ja laiemalt Euroopa suveräänsuse püsimine ning ellujäämine üha ohtlikumaks muutuvas maailmas on võimalik siis, kui tajume täpselt väliseid arengutendentse ega peta end lootusega, et diktaatoriga allaandmismeeleoludes sõlmitav kokkulepe võib tuua kestliku rahu. USA uue administratsiooni “kehahoiak” ning Euroopas valitsev liidripõud kahjuks näitavad, et läänemaailma eksistents tervikuna on suurimas ohus, mida seni kogetud.”
Ukraine’s Victory Against Russia Will Save Us From WWIII
by Marko Mihkelson, UpNorth - 21. Jan
“The survival and sovereignty of Estonia, and Europe at large, in an increasingly dangerous world are only possible if we accurately perceive external developments and do not deceive ourselves with the hope that a compromise reached with a dictator in a spirit of appeasement can bring lasting peace.”
—
“Unfortunately, the posture of the new U.S. administration and the leadership void in Europe suggest that the very existence of the Western world is at its greatest risk yet. … Russia’s confidence has grown partly because the West’s response to sabotage attacks—from political interference to undermining critical infrastructure—has been slow, fragmented, and weak. This is evident in the indifference shown to Russia’s destruction of Georgia’s sovereignty and democratic order during its imperialist expansion.”
—
“If even in Estonia, our media pays little attention to the desperate resistance of the Georgian people against Russian domination, what can we expect from Western Europe? How would we feel if the world turned a blind eye to Estonia’s fate when it hung in the balance?”
https://upnorth.eu/ukraines-victory-against-russia-will-save-us-from-wwiii/
Eestlane tunneb võõraktsentidest kõige paremini ära soome keele aktsendi
(Novaator)
“Viimase rahvaloenduse andmetel räägib Eestis eesti keelt võõrkeelena 17 protsenti rahvastikust. Seejuures on eri emakeelte arv paarikümne aasta jooksul märgatavalt kasvanud ning Eestis kõneldakse kokku juba 243 emakeelt. Võrdluseks oli 2000. aastal 109 ja 2011. aastal 157 keelt. Sellest võib järeldada, et ka eesti keelt emakeelena kõnelejad puutuvad iga päev järjest enam kokku erinevate võõraktsentidega kõneldud eesti keelega. Üha olulisem on ka hoiakud aktsendiga kõne suhtes.”
“Finnish accent easiest for Estonians to detect.” - ERR
Run on home generators as Estonia prepares to disconnect from Russian grid
(ERR)
“At the end of next week, Friday, February 8, Estonia is set to disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian BRELL electricity grid, and will nearly simultaneously connect to the Continental European system.”
—
https://news.err.ee/1609586915/explainer-estonia-desynchronizing-from-the-russian-electricity-grid
2,314 people in Estonia legally changed their names
(ERR)
“In addition to the reasons outlined in the Names Act, such as the desire to adopt a family name or a spouse's name, names may also legally be changed in Estonia for other valid reasons. For instance, the law explicitly permits changing one's name to adopt an Estonian-sounding surname.”
https://news.err.ee/1609587497/name-changes-on-the-rise-in-estonia
Estonia’s 100% Digitalization Moment
(Kron4 | Munich Eye)
“Estonia marks a new era in citizen-centric governance by eliminating bureaucracy and achieving 100% digitalization of its government services with the addition of online divorce filing capability. … Digital divorce marks the 100% digitalization moment.”
—
https://themunicheye.com/estonia-completes-digitalization-government-services-9004
“Eesti arvutiteadlasi üllatab Hiina uue tehisaru võimekus.” - Novaator
European Union Sanctions Russian Nationals for Hacking Estonia
(Security Week | other sources)
“The Council today adopted additional restrictive measures against three Russian individuals responsible for a series of cyberattacks carried out against the Republic of Estonia in 2020. The individuals listed are officers of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) Unit 29155.”
https://www.securityweek.com/european-union-sanctions-russian-nationals-for-hacking-estonia/
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Millised nägid siinsete kütt-korilaste elamud välja 6,000 aasta eest?
(Novaator)
“Neljanda aastatuhande algul enne meie ajaarvamist oli Eestis kasutusel umbes 400 kuni 2000 elamut. Kuigi tänapäevaks on säilinud ja neist on leitud vaid vähesed säilmed, on siiski võimalik aimu saada Ida-Euroopa lauskmaa toonasest arhitektuurist, kirjutab Tartu Ülikooli doktorant Irina Hrustaljova.”
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“Swedbank ennustab see aasta Eestile ekspordi kasvu.” - Estonian World Review
“Tallinna-Helsingi liini reisilaevalt kukkus inimene vette.” - ERR
“IAEA assists Estonia in drawing up nuclear energy law.” - WNN
“US soldiers help Estonia gear up for HIMARS era with live-fire drill.” - Stars and Stripes
“Kaitsevägi sai esimesed liikursuurtükid Caesar.” - ERR
“Tallinn's Old Town development plan open for public discussion.” - ERR
“ELi Kallas ja USA välisminister Rubio pidasid esimese telefonikõne.” - Delfi
“Kaja Kallas and Marco Rubio agree to keep 'maximum pressure' on Russia.” - Euronews
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Around the Baltic Sea
Eleven damaged cables in 15 months: What is happening in the Baltic Sea
(LRT | Latvian Public Media | DW)
“The latest of these incidents occurred last weekend, a fibre-optic cable linking Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland was damaged. While operators note that damage to cables is relatively common, the frequency and concentration of incidents in the Baltic Sea has led to suspicions of deliberate damage.”
—
—
https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-seizes-ship-baltic-cable-sabotage/a-71422920
“More security patrols needed in Baltic Sea.” - ERR 28. Jan
“Norway Seizes Ship Suspected In Baltic Cable Damage.” - RFERL 31. Jan.
“On Board a Lithuanian Patrol for Russian Hybrid Threats in the Baltic.” - The Moscow Times 31. Jan
“Sweden arrests ship suspected of damaging Latvian underwater cable.” - LSM 27. Jan
“Bulgarian shipping company denies ship sabotaged Baltic sea cable.” - Radio Sweden 27. Jan
“Baltic Sea shipping tax could pay for undersea cable protection, says Estonian minister.” - Reuters 29. Jan
“Lithuanian FM calls for navigation rules review after another Baltic Sea cable incident.” - LRT 27. Jan
NATO scrambles for drones that can survive the Arctic
(Reuters)
“Drones, whether multicopters or fixed wing models, are vulnerable. Only the largest, long-range models have enough power for anti-icing systems like those used by aircraft. Cold, fog, rain or snow can cause a malfunction or crash. The risk to drones is highest in temperatures just either side of freezing, between 8 degrees and minus 10 degrees Celsius, according to drone pilots and experts. A thin layer of ice forms on propellers and wings and destroys the aerodynamics."
—
“Russia's Zala Aero, part of the Kalashnikov Group, already offers drones designed for extreme Arctic conditions and Russia has also said its long-range S-70 Okhotnik combat drone can operate at minus 12 Celsius and will be deployed there. … NATO had been slow to devise a coherent response. …”
https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-scrambles-drones-that-can-survive-arctic-2025-01-30/
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“Finland to build major TNT factory in Pori.” - Yle
“Latvia reallocates 200 million euros for air defense.” - LSM
“Norway’s maritime satellite starts operations.” - Norway News
“Latvia pauses purchase of medical helicopters due to funding shortage.” - BNN
“Record unemployment among Finland’s highly educated.” - Helsinki Times
“Norway’s government collapses over an EU energy law dispute.” - Politico
“Sweden saving the crumbling remains of the 400-year-old ship Vasa.” - IEN
“Will Lithuania’s 5-6% of GDP for military spending create long-term financial strain?” - BNN
“Finland Wants to Make It More Difficult for Foreigners to Obtain Permanent Residence Permits.” - Schengen News
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Putin’s Forever War
Russia’s mortgage rate: 29%
(RFERL)
“The high hurdles for prospective homeowners are a potential headache for President Vladimir Putin, who frequently tells Russians the economy is in good shape and wants to ensure that persistent problems like rising prices don’t undermine support for his rule and for the war. … As of September, only 13% of Russians could afford to borrow at market mortgage rates, and that was before the bank raised the key rate by another 2% points.”
https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-homes-mortgage-rates-economy/33295523.html
Putin Expands Use of Soviet-Style Punitive Psychiatry Across Russia
By Paul Goble, Jamestown Org.
“… against his opponents and other dissenters, a practice that its victims have said made the Soviet Union, and is making Russia today, ‘an evil empire.’ A major difference in the uses of punitive psychiatry by the Russian regime today compared to the Soviet Union is that the latter employed it against high-profile dissidents, while today, it is most often targeted toward Russian regions and republics.”
—
“As the uses of punitive psychiatry today are largely unnoticed by Western observers and thus escape serious criticism, its use is likely to expand further, limited only by the number of opponents Putin faces and the relatively high costs of psychiatric imprisonment compared to other methods of intimidation and control.”
https://jamestown.org/program/putin-expands-use-of-soviet-style-punitive-psychiatry-across-russia/
The European politicians who are the chummiest with the U.S. president
(Politico Europe)
“From Italian Prime Minister Meloni to Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán.”
Ukraine Is Running Out of People
(Spiegel)
“The Russian invasion has now turned (a) demographic crisis into a catastrophe. Almost 7 million people, mostly women and children, have fled abroad since February 24, 2022, the day of the invasion. At least 5 million Ukrainians are now living under Russian occupation, cut off from the rest of the country by trenches and minefields. On top of that are the tens of thousands of civilians who have been killed and the up to 100,000 fallen soldiers.”
—
“In the 1990s, early in the country’s independence, Ukraine had a population of 51.5 million. Today, only an estimated 29 million people live in Ukrainian areas under Kyiv’s control.”
“Ukrainian drones hit second Russian oil refinery in a week.” - BNN
“Ukrainians in Kherson survived Russia's occupation. Now, they're being hunted by drones.” - CBC
“Another Ukrainian Brigade Is Disintegrating As It Deploys To Pokrovsk.” - Forbes
“Conversations on Ending the War in Ukraine Grow Louder and Emptier.” - Jamestown Org.
Trolling: Russian Historian Suggests Renaming Gulf of Finland
(The Moscow Times)
“… to the Gulf of St. Petersburg. The proposal was met with skepticism, even from some Russian officials.”
Tens of Thousands of Russian Wounded Waiting for Prosthetic Devices
By Paul Goble
“Putin’s war in Ukraine has left at least 100,000 Russian soldiers invalids, of whom a minimum of half have undergone amputations and need prosthetic devices. But the Russian economy is incapable of providing them on a timely basis and tens of thousands of Russian soldiers wounded in battle must wait months to be fitted with them.”
https://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2025/01/tens-of-thousands-of-russian-wounded.html
“North Korean troops reportedly being pulled back from front lines.” - RFERL
“Hundreds of thousands of Russians left their country. Many are going back.” - Meduza
“Assault time. Everyone into the Lada.” - Forbes
“Russia faces vulnerability to drone attacks.” - Defense Blog
Lukashenko wins ‘sham’ election in Belarus with 87.6 % of vote
(Politico)
“This is a blatant affront to democracy. Lukashenko doesn’t have any legitimacy,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/alexander-lukashenko-wins-sham-election-in-belarus/
“Belarus’s ‘Calmest Elections’ Hold Potential to Pave the Way for Rapprochement.” - Jamestown Org.
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