EstoNews Runs on Coffee
and Vana Tallinn
(EstoNews)
EstoNews has been in existence since 2014. Many hours of work goes into each weekly issue. It is emailed and posted on-line without charge. I’m too proud (or too stupid, LOL) to beg for money from any organization in the U.S. or Eesti, and the newsletter was not intended to be a business - there’s no fun in that for me.
—
If you find the geopolitical news from Estonia and the Baltic Sea region helpful and informative, consider buying me a cup of coffee or a shot of Vana Tallinn (or both) every once in a while to keep me going. Please visit the PayPal link below. It would also help with my out-of-pocket costs of monthly subscriptions to various news media organizations such as ‘Postimees’, ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Atlantic’, and a few others, to get around their paywalls.
—
I enjoy doing EstoNews and totally appreciate everybody’s interest.
Suur tänu! - Aavo
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/EstoNews100
Cover Photo:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/1keqsza/military_exercise_on_estonia_russia_border/
EstoNews On-Line:
https://estonewsoftheweek.blogspot.com/
EstoNews Dropbox Archive:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1kvd04gtar6ty2b/AADCUK2J_RXcMyIYf_sjnAwoa?dl=0
____________
Narva Castle hangs new Putin-Hitler banner on Russia's 'Victory Day’
(ERR | Meduza | Baltic Sentinel)
“For May 9, the Narva Museum placed a large poster featuring a composite portrait of Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler on the wall of Hermann Castle facing Russia. The image is visible from across the Narva River on the Russian side.”
—
“A photo of the poster, which reads “Putler — war criminal,” was shared by the Narva Museum, which is located within the castle walls.”
https://news.err.ee/1609688771/narva-castle-hangs-new-putin-hitler-banner-on-russia-s-victory-day
—
—
“Narva pidutseb Euroopa päeval Nublu ja Anne Veskiga.” - Postimees
“Narva elanikud jälgivad vastaskaldalt Ivangorodi kontserti.” - Postimees
“Russia blasts Victory Day commemorations over border to Estonia.” - The Telegraph
“Sõpruse sild Narvas on valmis (1960)” - Helifilm
Narva: People still cross the border
By Linda Koponen
(NZZ, Switzerland - Sept. 2024)
“Since Finland completely closed its eastern border and Latvia closed two crossings, one of the few official routes from the Schengen area to Russia leads through Narva. Every day, between 1,300 and 1,800 people pass through the checkpoint in the direction of Ivangorod. According to the Estonian authorities, around one in seven of them is carrying prohibited goods.”
—
“Estonian police officers look for prohibited goods. Every day they fish European cash and luxury goods such as expensive wines and watches out of suitcases and backpacks. They also find weapons and ammunition, night vision devices, microchips and drones, Starlink antennas and NATO uniforms. Since the start of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, which violates international law, the EU has banned the export of many items – especially so-called dual-use goods, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.”
—
“We take the sanctions very seriously,” says Ants Kutti, the head of the customs office. There is plenty of organized smuggling. Unemployed residents of Narva earn their money by transporting illegal goods across the border, he says. ‘Most of the time, they don't even know what they are taking out of the country.’ Kutti and his men recognize most of these couriers by now, but many continue to try their luck anyway.”
https://www.nzz.ch/english/what-draws-so-many-people-from-estonia-into-russia-ld.1847272
Russia's Weaponized Memory and State-Organized License to Kill
By Pekka Kallioniemi
(The Baltic Sentinel)
“In today’s Russia, the memory of World War II has become a state religion. Russians call it Pobedobesie, a blend of 'victory' and 'madness.' And madness is exactly what it is … Every year on May 9th, Russians gather to celebrate Victory Day with grand military parades, patriotic songs, and Soviet nostalgia. Fighter jets thunder over Red Square, children in miniature uniforms salute veterans. Tanks roll across cities as if war never ended. To many outsiders, this looks like harmless tradition: national pride in a historic triumph over fascism. But that’s a dangerously naive view. What Russia holds on May 9th is a ritual of power. A rehearsed performance that feeds a toxic worldview. … It’s about controlling the present by rewriting the past.”
Europeans Have Realized Their Error
By Graeme Wood
(The Atlantic)
“Everyone understands now,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, “that there is no situation anymore where someone else is coming to solve Europe’s problems”. He said Estonia understood this reality long ago, and welcomed the belated realization by others.”
—
“In 1968, the historian Robert Conquest published ‘The Great Terror’, at the time the most unsparing account of the state-directed megadeath supervised by Joseph Stalin in the 1930s. … His friend Kingsley Amis had suggested ‘I Told You So You Fucking Fools’. The publisher eventually went with ‘The Great Terror: A Reassessment’.”
—
“The urge to say I told you so, with or without accompanying expletives, is strong these days throughout the Baltics. The three former Soviet republics have, like Conquest, found themselves vindicated after years of accusing Moscow of planning and committing a wide range of sins. Could Putin really be planning, as Baltic leaders had suggested for years, to invade and retake the former Soviet states? In fact he was. All three republics—members of NATO since 2004—have supported Ukraine vigorously since its 2022 invasion. All three have taken only the coldest comfort in knowing that their warnings were true. …”
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/05/baltic-countries-russia-us-nato/682719/
Kuidas äreva ajaga paremini toime tulla
Katrin Aava, TLÜ
(Novaator)
[How to cope in these anxious and uncertain times.]
—
“Sedavõrd ärevatel aegadel on aga ellujäämiseks hädavajalik toetada kollektiivset tegutsemisvõimet olukorras, kus üksikisikud tunnevad, et omavad toimuva üle aina vähem enesekontrolli. Aastal 2023 avaldatud Eesti inimarengu aruande kohaselt on Eesti inimesed Euroopas sotsiaalse isoleerituse poolest esirinnas ning depressiooni- ja ärevushäire risk on vastavalt igal neljandal ja iga viiendal täiskasvanul.”
—
“Keerulistel aegadel tuleb personaalse konkureerimise asemel toetada kollektiivset tegutsemisvõimekust. Stressiolukorras ennustab inimene tulevikku pessimistlikumalt ja alahindab enda võimekust olukorra lahendamisel. Just sotsiaalsed võrgustikud võimaldavad inimestel paremini tegutseda muutuvas keskkonnas, luua tähendust, organiseeruda ja lahendada probleeme. Seega on heaoluks oluline näha end koos teistega väärtuslikuna, et uskuda, et minu võimuses on tegutseda.”
https://novaator.err.ee/1609684175/uhe-minuti-loeng-kuidas-areva-ajaga-paremini-toime-tulla
Euroopa päeva kontsert Tallinnas Vabaduse väljakul
(ERR | Postimees)
“… kus astuvad üles 5miinust ja Puuluup, Noep ja Islandi eurolaulik Daði Freyr. Euroopa päevaga tähistatakse igal aastal 9. mail rahu ja ühtsust Euroopas.”
https://eeter.err.ee/1609689419/galerii-euroopa-paeva-kontsert-vabaduse-valjakul
—
https://www.postimees.ee/8246126/galerii-vabaduse-valjakul-tahistatakse-euroopa-paeva
Pronkssõduri juurde tassiti nelgimeri, punasümboolika, viina ja narkot
(Postimees)
“Politsei on Tallinnas kui ka Narvas väljas suurendatud jõududega. «Kella 16 seisuga on politsei alustanud üle 30 menetluse,» ütles Lääne-Harju politseijaoskonna juht Lea Bärenson. Politsei kui ka turvafirma on nagu varasematelgi aastatel 9. mail väljas pronkssõduri juures tagamas avalikku korda, et hoida ära rikkumisi.”
Mis toimub joogiveega Tartu külje all?
(Postimees)
“Viimastel nädalatel on meediast pidevalt läbi käinud uudised haiguspuhangutest Tartu külje all. Tegelikult ei ole tänaseni lõpuni teada, mis siis ikkagi selle kõige põhjuseks on. Tartu külje all asuva Ãœlenurme, Tõrvandi ja Soinaste kandi rahvast on enam kui kaks nädalat kimbutanud kõhutõbi. Ehkki terviseameti proovid näitasid, et joogivees leidus fekaalse reostuse jääke, on võimalik leke seni leidmata. Tervisehädad, nagu iiveldus, oksendamine, kõhulahtisus ja palavik, on olnud sadadel sealse kandi inimestel.”
British troops deploy to Estonia
(The British Army)
“Hundreds of British Army soldiers have arrived in Estonia to take part in a major multinational exercise, involving more than 13,000 troops. Travelling from the UK by road, rail, sea and air, the mass transit of troops, managed by 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, also known as ‘The Black Rats’, has demonstrated the British Army’s ability to rapidly deploy a large-scale force to support a NATO ally that borders Russia.”
—
“Exercise Hedgehog serves as a Forward Land Force mission rehearsal, providing the opportunity for the FLF and allies and partner nations from across NATO to deploy to Estonia. Over the course of the exercise, British troops, alongside those from the US and France, will integrate and conduct operations alongside the EDF and Estonian Defence League units.”
https://www.army.mod.uk/news/stronger-together-british-troops-deploy-to-estonia/
Allies Hone Interoperability in Southern Estonia’s Nursipalu training area
(Eesti Kaitsevägi)
“For us, this is a rare opportunity to train in a new environment, a new location, and with new equipment,” said sergeant Thomas, mortar squad leader of the French contingent. “Here we have Estonians, British, and French working together to learn how to operate together and to defend Estonia if necessary.”
—
“In addition to Estonian armed forces personnel, units from more than ten countries are involved in the exercise, including forces from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Portugal. Observers and instructors will also be present from Japan, Israel, and Ukraine.”
https://mil.ee/en/news/allies-hone-interoperability-in-southern-estonia/
“Estonia reinforces with Turkish armour.” - Estonian World
“Estonian defense minister warns Russia plans expansion of army and deployment to NATO's border.” - Fox News
“Estonia’s HIMARS rocket artillery to begin live fire training this summer.” - OVD
“Kremlin understands only the language of strength and action.” - Välisministeerium
“Four Signs Russia Could Be Preparing for War With NATO.” - Newsweek
“Why Is Estonia’s Border With Russia So Quiet?” - Wall Street Journal (subscription only, unfortunately)
____________
“Pärnumaal tahetakse kaitsealal soostada ligi 4000 hektarit metsa.” - ERR
“Estonian-founded Skype ended its operations for good on Monday.” - ERR
“Hongkongi võimud vahistasid Balticconnectori lõhkunud laeva kapteni.” - ERR
__________
Estonia and Nordics roll out offline card payment back-up in case internet cut
(Reuters | The Paypers | U.S. News)
“… due to sabotage, Bank of Finland board member Tuomas Valimaki said on Wednesday. He said payments were a potential target because of their critical role in everyday life. Only 10% of people use cash as their primary payment method … Valimaki said plans were still being developed, but offline payments can involve using terminals that encrypt and store transaction data until an internet connection can be restored.”
—
—
Russia's pension fund has not transferred this year's payments to Estonia
(ERR)
“… preventing the disbursement of pensions to Russian pensioners living here. Approximately 4,000 people in Estonia receive pensions from Russia. In total, around 4,000 people in Estonia receive a pension from Russia, more than 200 of whom rely solely on the Russian pension.”
__________
Around the Baltic Sea
Moscow could be ready for another armed conflict as soon as a year after the war in Ukraine concludes
(New Voice of Ukraine)
“… Dutch Military Intelligence (MIVD) chief Peter Reesink said on May 8.”
—
“He noted that Russia is producing far more artillery, with help from other countries, than it needs to sustain the war against Ukraine. He added that Russia is not only replenishing its stockpile but is also shifting new artillery units to NATO borders, particularly near the Baltic states and Finland.”
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/russia-can-rebuild-its-military-in-one-year-of-peace-50512498.html
Baltics close airspace to world leaders traveling to Russia for 9. May
(ERR)
“Foreign leaders' requests to use Estonian airspace to attend Russia's May 9 celebrations are "out of the question," Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said on Wednesday, following media reports the Baltic states had denied requests from visiting dignitaries. On Friday, dozens of foreign leaders will attend a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Moscow. European and NATO leaders are mostly boycotting the event as relations with Russia have plummeted since it launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”
https://news.err.ee/1609686293/baltics-close-airspace-to-world-leaders-traveling-to-russia-for-may-9
Estonia stands its ground regarding foreign overflights for 9. May
(BBC)
“Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, thought to be the only European Union leader planning to attend, complained that Estonia's government had refused to allow him to fly over its airspace, which he said was extremely disruptive.”
—
“The government in Tallinn said it had no intention of supporting the Moscow parade and had stressed to EU colleagues that taking part in Russian "propaganda events should be ruled out".
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2dedjn3px3o
“Eesti õhuruumi ei saa kasutada Moskvasse 9. mai paraadile suundumiseks.” - Välisministeerium
“Estonia closes its airspace for VIP flights to Moscow on May 9.” - RBC
“Estonia bans flights to Russia for May 9 parade, warns EU against supporting Kremlin propaganda.” - New Voice of Ukraine
Latvia’s easternmost region: The border with Russia hardens
By Jack Styler
(Meduza)
“Report on how the militarization of the border with Russia has affected ordinary people in Latvia’s easternmost region.”
—
“According to 2022 Latvian government survey data, approximately 55 % of people in Latgale speak Russian at home, which is by far the highest of any region in Latvia outside of Riga. (In a 2012 referendum on adopting Russian as Latvia’s second national language, Latgale voted yes, 56 to 44 %.) That said, many locals tie their identity not only to the nation as a whole but specifically to the Latgale region, identifying as both ethnically Latvian and Latgalian. According to Henrihs Soms, an associate professor of history at the Latgale Region Research Institute at Daugavpils University, Latgalian identity is predicated on two things: speaking Latgalian, a language closely related to Latvian that has at least 100,000 speakers, and practicing Catholicism, which the Polish introduced. …”
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/05/let-s-stop-feeding-the-bear
New Russian book claims Lithuania and its language ‘do not exist’
(Paul Goble | Meduza)
“Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has denounced a new Russian book, featuring a preface by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, which claims that the Lithuanian nation and language “do not exist” and that Lithuanians in fact are Slavs like the Russians. Budrys says that this message and the Kremlin’s support for it – the book is now available freely on line from Moscow’s International Relations publishing house – is of a piece with other Moscow books and articles about Russia’s neighbors and should be denounced and then ignored as fake propaganda.”
—
“A foreword written by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is raising concerns in Eastern Europe that Moscow is once again laying the groundwork to challenge a neighbor’s international borders. Lavrov’s preface appears in a monograph titled “The History of Lithuania,” published in March … In his foreword, Lavrov accuses the Baltic states, including Lithuania, of trying to “use falsified historical narratives to incite anti-Russian and Russophobic sentiments.” The book, he says, pushes back against this trend.”
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2025/05/russian-foreign-minister-gives.html
—
Openly fascist ‘Blue-Black Movement’ returning to Finland's party register
(Yle)
“The Blue-and-Black Movement was founded by a group of disgruntled former Finns Party members with strong ethnonationalist views. The group held an event and march in Tampere on 1. May - participants dressed in black were seen carrying Finnish flags and a banner that read ‘May Day is White’.”
____________
“Kiviselg: 9. mai on innustanud Venemaa tegevust Ukrainas.” - ERR
“Lithuania fortifies Suwalki Gap against potential Russian attack.” - NVU
“Stockholm rejects ‘bizarre’ US letter urging city to scrap diversity initiatives.” - The Guardian
“How ordinary Poles are preparing for a Russian invasion.” - BBC
“Leedu luure hoiatab: 9. mail peab olema valmis Putini-meelsete provokatsioonideks.” - Postimees
“Lithuania plans to buy long-range air defence systems.” - Delfi
“Former Latvian President criticizes “Peace Talks” with Putin.” - BNN
“Sweden, Finland and UK launch large-scale joint exercises in north.” - Helsinki Times
“EU sets 2027 as deadline to phase out all Russian energy, including LNG.” - Euronews
“EU to propose blanket ban on Russian gas.” - Politico Europe
___________
Putin’s Forever War
With Acts of Subversion, Some Russians Fight Propaganda in Schools
By Nataliya Vasilyeva
(New York Times)
“Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, antiwar parents and some teachers say they are going to great lengths to shield children from state-mandated patriotic education classes.”
—
“Some schools in Russia are preparing fake schedules to conceal their efforts to shun patriotic education classes. Some parents school their children at home. Others try to help young people navigate a school system in which they say propaganda is pervasive. Faced with what they say is an ever-growing flood of misinformation about the war in Ukraine in Russian schools, parents and teachers who oppose the conflict say they are waging a desperate battle for the minds of their children. …”
Drones strike Moscow ahead of Victory Day as Putin cancels parades in Crimea
(Helsinki Times)
“Ukrainian drone strikes disrupted air traffic in Moscow and forced the cancellation of key military parades in occupied Crimea, dealing a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the May 9 Victory Day celebrations.
At least 19 drones targeted Moscow on Monday night, Russian authorities said. Flights were suspended at four airports in the capital as debris from intercepted drones fell onto roadways.”
—
“In response to escalating strikes, local officials in Sevastopol and Krasnodar cancelled their regional Victory Day events citing security risks. The Russian defence ministry mandated the cancellations. “We cannot risk the lives of residents or participants,” said Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Krasnodar.”
“Missile fragment becomes lodged in balcony near Moscow.” - Novaya Gazeta
____________
“Suri ButÅ¡a jõhkrusi läbi viinud Pihkva diviisi ülem.” - Postimees
“Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia.” - BBC
“Hungary’s realpolitik on Russia.” - Geopolitical Intelligence Services
“Even at Current Rate of Advance, Russia would Need 230 Years to Fully Occupy Ukraine, Experts Say.” - Paul Goble
“Victory Day widows applaud Putin, who sent their husbands to death.” - Postimees Opinion
____________
Ukrainians Reject Russia’s Distortion of 80th Anniversary of World War II
By Elena Davlikanova
(Jamestown Org.)
“The Kremlin has shifted 9. May Victory Day celebrations from honoring the sacrifices of Soviet troops in World War II to a tool for justifying Russia’s war against Ukraine. Moscow’s attempts to monopolize “victory” over the Nazis ring hollow in Ukraine, whose own people fought and died in the war, and whose postwar history was marked not by liberation but by renewed Soviet oppression.”
Russia is using online recruits for a campaign of sabotage in Europe
By Shaun Walker
(The Guardian)
“European intelligence agencies say Moscow has launched a campaign of sabotage, arson and disinformation against the continent. Sometimes, it is focused on specific targets related to support for the Ukrainian war effort, but more often it is simply aimed at causing chaos and unease.”
—
“In Lithuania, an Ikea was set on fire; in Britain, seven people were charged over an arson attack on a business with links to Ukraine; in France, five coffins inscribed with the words “French soldiers in Ukraine” were left under the Eiffel Tower; in Estonia, the car windows of the interior minister and a local journalist were smashed. There have been numerous suspicious fires in Poland, including one that destroyed a huge shopping centre in Warsaw. Taken together, the incidents point to how Russia’s intelligence services have moved towards a new kind of attack on the west, one that is dangerous and violent but also piecemeal and hard to prove.”
Multiple High-Profile Russian Generals Assassinated on Russian Soil
By: David Kirichenko
(National Interest)
“Putin now faces threats on multiple fronts. Not only are Ukrainian soldiers operating inside Russia’s border regions like Belgorod and Kursk, but Putin is also contending with Ukrainian intelligence operatives who move across Russian territory with apparent ease, exacting revenge. Even loyalist propagandists have taken note. Zakhar Prilepin warned that Ukraine will continue eliminating traitors and war criminals even after a peace deal is signed. He believes the war must be fought to a “victorious end.”
—
“These threats from the Ukrainian side now appear to shape decisions at the top. Putin is desperate for a three-day ceasefire in Moscow as he knows the ominous threat posed by Ukrainian drones. Mark Galeotti, a Russia analyst, noted that “drone attacks on the capital have become increasingly common,” and the recent assassination of General Yaroslav Moskalik suggests that Ukrainians are growing increasingly adept at covert operations on Russian soil.”
“Two Russian colonels both mysteriously plunge from high windows.” - Express
___________
_______
__
