Estonia Opens First Aerial Drone Training Hub
(The Defense Post | Militarnyi | ERR)
“Tallinn noted that the Nurmsi center is critical to developing the armed forces’ UAV capabilities for future battlefields. It will also expand the Baltic state’s training opportunities for troops and strengthen its airborne defense cooperation with partner nations. … “The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that drones and unmanned systems are key in modern warfare,” Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated. “Drones are important for the development of Estonia’s defense capabilities. The field is evolving rapidly, and we must advance our drone training as well. I am glad Estonia now has its own dedicated UAV training center.”
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/04/28/estonia-drone-training-hub/
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—
https://news.err.ee/1609676375/gallery-estonia-s-first-drone-training-center-opens-in-nurmsi
“Latvia delivered 1,500 combat drones to Ukraine.” - Dronexl
“Swedish defence developing military drone force.” - Radio Sweden
“Finland Aims High With Its 2030 Drone Development Goals.” - Signal
“European drone training sites mushroom in nod to Ukraine war tactics.” - C4ISRNET
“Ukraine showed how to kill Russians with drones—now Europe’s all in.” - Euromaidan Press
“Russia Tests Lightweight, Low-Power Friend-or-Foe Tech for Drones.” - The Defense Post
“Russian National Guard spends $10 million on faulty anti-drone kit from China.” - Novaya Gazeta Europe
The West Is Not Ready For A Drone War
(Strategy Page)
“Ukrainian military officials are dismayed at how their NATO allies fail to appreciate how momentous the evolution of drone warfare has been. Until NATO comes to its senses, any future Russian attack will overwhelm NATO defenders with millions of drones. Ukraine has manufactured over four million drones since late 2023 and production for 2025 may reach five million.”
—
“… about half the armored vehicles damaged or destroyed in Ukraine were done in by drones. Training of drone operators is critical as it takes dozens of hours of operating drones to gain an effective skill level. Female soldiers can excel as drone operators while mostly avoiding the battlefield risk of death or injury. Unlike pilots of combat aircraft, drone operators are much less likely to be put out of action by death, injury, or capture. Drone operators are relatively close to the front lines and exposed to some risk, but not nearly as much as pilots. Such reduced casualties shorten the learning curve for drone operators and make them more dangerous faster compared to infantry whose effective combat lifetime is much shorter.”
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/2025043004949.aspx#gsc.tab=0
Ukraine uses video game incentives to motivate drone pilots
(Politico Europe)
“Ukraine's military is turning to incentive schemes used in video games to spur its soldiers to kill more Russian troops and destroy their equipment. The program — called Army of Drones bonus — rewards soldiers with points if they upload videos proving their drones have hit Russian targets.”
—
“The program assigns points for each type of kill: 20 points for damaging and 40 for destroying a tank; up to 50 points for destroying a mobile rocket system, depending on the caliber; and six points for killing an enemy soldier. Soldiers have to download the video footage taken by their drones confirming the kill to the military's Delta communication and situational awareness system.”
“Drone chief fights psychological war with videos of dying Russians.” - Times
____________
Cover - Drone Swarm Over Russia:
By Osama Hajjaj, 2. June 2023
https://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/moscow-drone-attack
EstoNews On-Line:
https://estonewsoftheweek.blogspot.com/
EstoNews Dropbox Archive:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1kvd04gtar6ty2b/AADCUK2J_RXcMyIYf_sjnAwoa?dl=0
____________
Arvamus: Karis trumpab teised Balti ja Poola presidendid Trumpi silmis üle
Külli Kapper
(Postimees)
“Donald Trumpi trikke ei oska juba ammu keegi ette ennustada. Ãœks on aga kindel: kui USA president sõidab külla mõnele Venemaa piiri ääres asuvale riigipeale, siis peab tolle presidendi foto kõlbama ameeriklaste pealiku sotsiaalmeedia kontole, ning Alar Karise profiil võiks sobida paremini kui ülejäänute oma.”
Estonia exceeds U.S. president’s defence spending target with 5.4% GDP pledge
(Global Government Forum | TVP)
“The decision follows pressure from the Trump administration, which said its allies should boost NATO defence spending to 5% of GDP per member or lose US military support.”
—
“Estonia’s new commitment, which exceeds the president’s demands, would see an additional €2.8bn (US$3.1bn) spent on its defence over the next four years.
Kristen Michal, Estonia’s prime minister, called the supplementary defence investment programme (known as Kilp, or ‘Shield’ in English) “the largest increase in defence spending in recent history”. He added that the programme would enable Estonia to develop its air defence faster and to beef up its army’s firepower, leading to greater “deep-warfare capability”.
—
https://tvpworld.com/86367464/estonia-to-raise-defense-spending-to-54-of-gdp
Toomas Hendrik Ilves joins a federalist European movement ‘Volt Europa’
By By Sten Hankewitz
(Estonian World)
“According to the movement, “Ilves shares with it the primary goal of building a Europe that is resilient, thriving and capable of leading sustainable change in these times of uncertainty and turmoil.”
“Europe needs to get its act together now. It needs to overcome 35 years of neglecting defence and its security; it needs to create a Europe-wide capital market to allow the kind of investment that has propelled the US to its leadership position in technology that is far, far ahead of Europe, where we need to catch up in leaps and bounds especially in AI. If we do not address these issues, we will become the impoverished backwater it was last in the Middle Ages.”
https://estonianworld.com/security/estonias-ex-president-ilves-joins-a-federalist-european-movement/
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“Toomas Hendrik Ilves liitus poliitilise liikumisega Volt Europa.” - ERR
“Mis asi on Volt Europa, millega president Ilves liitus?” - Postimees
Too much at stake for US military to quit Europe, Estonian minister says
(Reuters)
“Hanno Pevkur told Reuters on Monday the U.S. might reposition some troops to focus more on the Indo-Pacific, but said there had been no discussion within the Western NATO alliance about any reduction of U.S. forces in Europe. … The U.S. military has been present in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania almost continuously since April 2014, shortly after Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.”
“For Putin, US is the main enemy Estonian foreign minister says.” - Fox News
Ühisõppusel Kilp valmistusid sõjaväelased Narvat kaitsma
(ERR)
“Virumaal toimuv ühisõppus Kilp keskendub riigikaitselise kriisi läbimängimisele. Kolmapäeval valmistusid sõjaväelased Narvat kaitsma. Päästjad ja kaitseliitlased harjutasid elanike massievakueerimist. Õppuse stsenaariumi järgi algab Eesti idapiiril ränderünne ja kriis eskaleerub kuni sõjaeelse olukorrani. Kriisi arenedes võtab piiri kaitsmise enda kätte sõjavägi ja valmistub sõjalise ründe tõrjumiseks.
https://www.err.ee/1609680914/uhisoppusel-kilp-valmistusid-sojavaelased-narvat-kaitsma
“Defense and evacuation training exercise KILP underway in Narva.”
“Saksa eksperdi stsenaarium: 2028. aasta märtsis vallutavad venelased Kärdla.” - Postimees
Eesti on valmis saatma Ukraina rahuväkke kompanii suuruse üksuse
(ERR)
“Peaminister Kristen Michal kinnitas pressiteate vahendusel, et Eesti on valmis panustama Ãœhendkuningriigi ja Prantsusmaa juhitava Ukrainale julgeolekugarantiisid pakkuva tahtekoalitsiooni heidutusväkke.
https://www.err.ee/1609680263/eesti-on-valmis-saatma-ukraina-rahuvakke-kompanii-suuruse-uksuse
“Estonia prepared to send 'coalition of the willing' forces to Ukraine.”
Ukraina transpordilennuk
tõi HIMARSid Eestisse
(Postimees | ERR)
“Maailma üks suurimaid transpordilennukeid, ukrainlaste Antonov An-124 tõi eile Eestisse USAs Lockheed Martini tehases valmistatud kuus HIMARS mitmikraketiheitjat. Ega seal midagi keerulist ei olnud. Tulid Ameerika Ãœhendriikidest Eestisse ja see, et NATO riigid logistika korraldamisel on kasutanud Antonov An-124 lennukit, ei ole mingi erakordne sündmus,” rääkis kaitseinvesteeringute keskuse juht Magnus-Valdemar Saar sündmuse järel Postimehele.”
https://www.postimees.ee/8240355/video-ukraina-transpordilennuk-toi-himarsid-eestisse
—
https://www.err.ee/1609680710/kuus-himars-i-mitmikraketiheitjat-joudsid-eestisse
Ukraine's Antonov An-124 delivered six HIMARS multiple rocket launchers
(The Baltic Sentinel)
“… manufactured at the U.S. Lockheed Martin factory to Estonia yesterday.”
—
“Although the first HIMARS units are now in Estonia, there remains a question of how to fulfill the rest of Estonia’s indirect fire capability needs. While it would make more economic sense to procure more HIMARS, long delivery times may force Estonia to look at alternatives. Several defense experts have already suggested that it might be time to start exploring other options. However, for now they are still awaiting a response from the Americans.”
—
[Ukraine’s larger Antonov An-225, which was stationed at Hostomel airfield, was destroyed at the start of the war.]
https://balticsentinel.eu/8240483/video-massive-ukrainian-transport-plane-delivers-himars-to-estonia
Luhamaa ja Koidula piiripunktides kasvab sel nädalal piiriületajate arv
(ERR)
“Sel nädalal on Luhamaa ja Koidula piiripunktis oodata piirületajate arvu märkimisväärset suurenemist, sest Narva piiripunkt suletakse kolmapäevast reedeni rändekriisis tegutsemise õppusteks. Eelmise nädala jooksul oli Koidula piiripunktis 500–600 piirületajat ööpäevas, Luhamaal 600–700 inimest, kuid sellel nädalal võib piiriületuse aeg muutuda palju pikemaks, sest Narva-Ivangorodi piir läheb õppuste tõttu 30. aprillist kuni 2. maini kinni.”
Estonia releases Russia-bound oil tanker
(Reuters | Maritime Executive | Brookings)
“… (named) Kiwala, which is on an EU sanctions list, having detained it for sailing without a valid country flag. The Estonian navy detained and boarded the Russia-bound tanker on April 11. It is suspected to be part of a so-called "shadow fleet" of usually older vessels used to carry crude oil and other cargoes to circumvent international sanctions.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/estonia-releases-russia-bound-oil-tanker-2025-04-28/
—
—
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-race-to-sanction-russias-growing-shadow-fleet/
An inside look at U.S.-Estonian military training in the Gulf of Finland
(Fox News)
“… with U.S. Marines in Estonia guarding Europe's undersea infrastructures.”
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6372193154112
“Belgian-led NATO group patrols Baltic Sea near Estonia amid sabotage fears.” - Euronews
“Estonia has promised to continue deterring vessels of Russia's shadow fleet.” - Odessa Journal
Estonia has cataloged 366 Soviet occupation war memorials and graves
(ERR)
“A commission formed jointly by the Estonian Government Office and under the National War Museum (Sõjamuuseum) has announced it has found over 360 war monuments and graves erected by Soviet authorities in Estonia through the course of the occupation of the country, which lasted from the end of World War Two until the start of the 1990s. Due to poor record keeping on the part of the former occupiers and of many sites fading into obscurity with the passage of time, a clear picture of the exact number of memorials, statues, grave sites and related installations was lacking – until now.”
https://news.err.ee/1609675745/estonia-catalogs-366-soviet-occupation-war-memorials
__________
“Estonia celebrates 21 years in EU.”
- Baltic Times
“Exercise Bold Eagle in Estonia.” - Joint-Forces
“Ice Hockey looking for growth in Estonia.” - IIHF
“10 reasons to add Estonia to your travel wishlist.” - Restless
“Riigikogu külastas ligi 5,000 inimest.” - Riigikogu pressiteade
“Energy experts: Major power outage unlikely in Estonia.” - ERR
“What Tiny Estonia Can Teach Others About Digital Success.” - Forbes
“Estonia to launch explosives factory in regional rush for ammunition.” - Defense News
“Ajakirjandusvabadus on Euroopa Liidus eksistentsiaalses ohus.” - ERR
“Estonian broadcast bill targets Russian propaganda, but raises questions over online content.” - The Parliament Magazine
"Saatse saapa ümbersõidutee rajamine osutus oodatust keerukamaks.” - ERR
“German-Estonian Ports Deepen Maritime Cooperation.” - Dry Cargo Intl.
Around the Baltic Sea
The Russian Military Moves That Have Europe on Edge
By Thomas Grove
(Wall Street Journal)
“With the U.S. President and many other world leaders preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, some Europeans are growing alarmed about what the Russian army has been doing much more quietly along other stretches of its border with Europe. Some 100 miles east of its border with Finland, in the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, military engineers are expanding army bases where the Kremlin plans to create a new army headquarters to oversee tens of thousands of troops over the next several years.”
—
“Those soldiers, many now serving on the front lines in Ukraine, are intended to be the backbone of a Russian military preparing to face off with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to Western military and intelligence officials. The Kremlin is expanding military recruitment, bolstering weapons production and upgrading railroad lines in border areas.”
—
“The new infrastructure being built includes storage units and troops housing, said Emil Kastehelmi of the Finland-based Black Bird Group, which analyzes satellite images of Russian military sites. New rail is being laid along the borders with Finland and Norway, and south of St. Petersburg to the Estonian border. Existing lines that cross the region are being expanded. Finland is watching to see where those new lines might go.”
—
“If you ask how soon the Russian military could conduct a limited operation against Baltic states, the answer could be quite soon,” said Michael Kofman, senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank. Baltic officials, he said, are “looking at a two to three year timeline after the war. If the benchmark is a large-scale war, presumably with NATO, the timeline could be more like seven to 10 years, depending on the scenario.”
Or:
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russia-military-nato-europe-finland-ff53b912?mod=hp_lead_pos9
“Arvamus: Venemaa valmistub teatama, et on saavutanud sõjaga oma põhilise eesmärgi.” - Rainer Saks, Postimees
Winning the Industrial War: Comparing Russia, Europe and Ukraine in 2022–24
By Dr. Jack Watling and
Oleksandr V. Danylyuk
(RUSI)
“In an environment where Europe must be able to deter Russia with reduced U.S. support, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine should spur significant efforts to address what has been demonstrated to be a manifestly inadequate defence-industrial base. This paper focuses on the key policy issues that have shaped military-industrial production in Russia, Ukraine and European NATO.”
“US approves sale of €1.17 billion worth of missiles to Poland.” - Euronews
“NATO Underestimates Importance of Ammunition Stockpiles.” - Baltic Sentinal
“Campaigners sound alarm as European nations move to exit landmine ban.” - The Guardian
____________
“Finland backs EU cable security plan, calls for Baltic Sea priority.” - Helsinki Times
“The Future Swedish Surface Warfare Force.” - ‘Corporal Frisk’
“Electronic Weapons: Baltic Sea Rearmament.” - Strategy Page
“Vilnius holds civil protection and terrorist attack drills.” - LRT
“Finland to build new 30-kilometer railway link to Norway.” - Helsinki Times
“NATO sees no threat in Zapad drills, says Lithuanian official.” - LRT
“Finland invests in future rail link to Norwegian Sea.” - Yle
“Sauna diplomacy pauses as top Finnish spot in Brussels is closed for renovations.” - Politico Europe
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Putin’s Forever War
‘Numerous signs of torture’:
A Ukrainian journalist’s detention and death in a Russian prison
(Guardian | Washington Post | Meduza)
“The journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna was captured in the summer of 2023 near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. It was at least her fourth reporting trip into the occupied territories. She was by this stage of the war the only Ukrainian journalist prepared to risk crossing the frontline in order to pierce the information blackout imposed by Russia.”
—
“Viktoriia Roshchyna set out to report on claims that Russia was operating a network of unofficial detention centers in occupied Ukraine. But in August 2023 she disappeared into one herself. Roshchyna died after a year in detention, aged 27. Preliminary forensics suggest “numerous signs of torture”, according to the prosecutor. Burn marks on her feet from electric shocks, abrasions on the hips and head, and a broken rib. Her hair, which she liked to wear long and tinted blonde at the tips, had been shaved. Sources close to the official investigation have also disclosed that the hyoid bone in her neck was broken. It is the kind of damage that can occur during strangulation. However, the exact cause of death may never be known because when her body was returned during the exchange on 14. February, certain parts were missing, namely the brain, eyes and larynx.”
—
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2025/russia-detention-ukraine-civilians-occupation/
—
 |
| Sites where Ukrainian prisoners are believed to be held |
“Venemaa eriteenistuste jaoks pole vägivald enam tabu ja see on väga halb.” - Kuku Raadio
“Beatings, electrocution and starvation at prison where Ukrainians were tortured.” - The Guardian, 30. April 2025
“The secretive prisons where Russia hides and tortures Ukrainian civilians.” - Meduza, May 2023
“A Russian Military Deserter Recalls His Time Inside a Secret Jail for Defectors.” - The Moscow Times, 30. April 2025
“Russia’s FSB and Law Enforcement Tactics Suppress Opposition.” - Jamestown Org.
What Ukraine's mineral deal with the US means for the war against Russia
(France24 | Novaya Gazeta | Euronews)
“The US and Ukraine on Wednesday signed a resource-sharing deal granting Washington access to critical minerals. Kyiv hopes the pact will lock in military support, establish a reconstruction fund and counter Russian aggression while keeping full Ukrainian control over national resources.”
—
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2025/05/01/us-and-ukraine-sign-long-awaited-minerals-deal-en-news
—
“Global Competition in Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements.” - Jamestown Org.
“Agreement to Establish United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.” - White House Factsheet
“The U.S. Treasury Announces Agreement to Establish United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.” - U.S. Department of the Treasury
____________
“The Russian-Ukrainian War started after a Belarus-Russia Joint Training exercise. In 2025, Belarus says it will be ‘just another training’ exercise.” - Matthew’s Substack
“Russia Launches Coordinated Disinformation Campaign Targeting Moldova.” - Militarnyi
____________
Russia announces 3-day ceasefire next week for WW II commemoration
(CBC | BBC)
“Putin has ordered the full cessation of hostilities in the Ukraine war on "humanitarian grounds" as Russia celebrates the Victory Day over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. The truce will start just after midnight on May 8.”
—
"Russia believes that the Ukrainian side should follow this example," the Kremlin said in a statement. "In case of violations of the ceasefire by the Ukrainian side, the Russian armed forces will give an adequate and efficient response."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russia-ww2-ukraine-war-pause-1.7520176
—
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgpj3gddgno
“Putin kuulutas 9. mai tähistamise puhul välja kolmepäevase relvarahu.” - ERR
“Russia dismisses Ukraine’s proposal to extend brief ceasefire to 30 days.” - Aljazeera
“Moscow rejects proposed 30-day ceasefire.” - Meduza
Fiona Hill Argues Putin Has No Incentive for Durable Peace in Ukraine
(Russia Matters)
“… genuine negotiations are not currently sought by Putin or the broader Russian leadership. From their perspective, time and resources remain on Russia’s side, even in the face of economic challenges such as declining oil prices. Hill underscored the significance of perception in Putin’s strategic calculus: He views himself as holding greater power than Ukraine, a belief reinforced by the White House’s own rhetoric, which often emphasizes Ukraine’s weakness and “lack of cards.” In response, Hill called for greater Western public recognition of Ukrainian victories on the front lines, arguing that such acknowledgment is crucial to countering the perception of imbalance and boosting both morale and international support. To underscore Russia’s unwillingness to pursue peace, Albats cited a recent statement by Putin regarding Ukraine: “Only recently, I said that we would squeeze them into a corner, but now we have reason to believe that we are set to finish them off.”
https://www.russiamatters.org/blog/fiona-hill-argues-putin-has-no-incentive-durable-peace-ukraine
49 out of 200 Russian businessmen on Forbes’ list of billionaires left Russia
(The Moscow Times)
“… in the early days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February and March 2022. Some departed even before the invasion, when Putin recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics on Feb. 21. Several of those who left had attended the famous meeting in the Kremlin on the first day of the war where Putin urged top business executives and heads of state-owned companies to “understand what is happening.”
—
“Nearly one-third of the billionaires who fled — 17 in total — went to the United Arab Emirates. Five traveled to Switzerland, five to Turkey, four to France and three to Cyprus. According to the leaked data, some of Putin’s closest associates were among the first to leave.”
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