U.S. Senate approves an "ironclad commitment" to Baltic states
ERR | Kyiv Post
“The Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the Senate with 77 votes to 20 late Thursday but now needs to be reconciled with the House version before it can be enacted.”
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“The passage is being hailed as a critical victory for America’s commitment to its Eastern European allies, delivering a significantly strengthened security pledge to the Baltic states and providing new tools to counter Russian aggression, even as the fate of funding for the war in Ukraine remains a pressing global concern.”
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“The key provision that has caught the attention of capitals from Kyiv to Tallinn is the robust authorization and three years of dedicated funding for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), a program designed to enhance the defenses of NATO’s frontline members: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.”
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https://www.kyivpost.com/post/61805
“USA senat kiitis heaks julgeolekuabi Balti riikidele.”
ERR
“Saatkonna nõunik Balti julgeolekurahastu olukorrast USA kongressis: protsess ei ole veel lõppenud.”
Postimees
“Riia julgeolekukonverentsilt. Putin on äärmiselt nõrk.”
Postimees
U.S. Senate confirms Roman Pipko as new ambassador to Estonia
Estonian World Review
“Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump nominated Pipko, an Estonian-born lawyer, as his nominee for ambassador to Estonia. On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed his position. … Pipko was born in Estonia in 1960. In 1981, he emigrated to the United States with his mother.”
https://www.eesti.ca/us-senate-confirms-roman-pipko-as-new-ambassador-to-estonia/article61988
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Kaitseministeerium tõstab 88 miljoni eest palku
Ülle Harju, Postimees
“… ja värbab sadu uusi töötajaid. Praegu on ministeeriumi rehkendust mööda kaitseväe isikkoosseisust puudu umbes 500 tegevväelast ja 420 tsiviilteenistujat.”
Price increase is the number one concern for Estonians
ERR
“87% of respondents said they were worried about rising everyday expenses. 85% expressed concern about Estonia's overall economic situation and 79% about planned tax changes.”
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“67% fear that war could break out in Estonia or elsewhere in Europe.”
https://news.err.ee/1609822998/price-increase-number-one-concern-for-estonian-residents
Eestis on rõivaste ja jalatsite juurdehindlus pea 80%
ERR
“… ning Euroopa Liidu statistikaameti Eurostat kinnitusel on riided Eestis tunduvalt kallimad kui euroalas keskmiselt. Kaupmehed ei ole nende arvutustega nõus.”
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[The markup on clothing and footwear is almost 80%.]
https://www.err.ee/1609826532/eestis-on-roivaste-ja-jalatsite-juurdehindlus-pea-80-protsenti
Narva’s Russian-speakers enjoy NATO’s shield
Kyiv Independent
“… (but) remain mute on Russia’s threat.”
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“When asked about Russia, located in plain sight across the shallow river, and its appetite for war, Narva residents have been reserved in their responses.n "Anything is possible these days, but I'm not scared," a man on the embankment said in response to a question about a potential invasion.”
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“A taxi driver, moments later, was far more skeptical of war. "You used to have to halve the magnitude of whatever they say in the media, even before the war. Now you can believe only 1% of it."
FSB trying to recruit Estonians at Russian border
ERR
“Estonia's Internal Security Service (ISS/KAPO) has warned that an FSB agent is trying to recruit Estonians at the Estonian-Russian border, after a 24-year-old from Narva was jailed for collaboration with the intelligence agency. On Tuesday, Estonian citizen Ivan Dmitrijev was sentenced to almost five years in prison for conducting intelligence activities against Estonia.”
Estonia calls Merkel’s Russia remarks ‘new and low point’
Kyiv Post | United24 | DW
“The backlash followed Merkel’s interview with the Hungarian outlet Partizan, where she claimed that in 2021 she and French President Emmanuel Macron tried to launch a new EU dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She said Poland and the Baltic states rejected the idea, fearing the bloc would fail to form a united stance on Moscow.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/61546
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“Kallas vastuseks Merkelile: meie oleme kindlasti ajaloo õigel poolel.”
ERR
Omniva aims to resume package deliveries to the U.S. this month
ERR
“In August, Omniva temporarily halted U.S. package deliveries after new American customs duties were introduced, promising to resume shipments as soon as possible. Regular mail service continued uninterrupted.”
https://news.err.ee/1609824450/estonia-trails-bigger-countries-in-resuming-us-package-deliveries
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“Tartus Raadi sõjaväelinnakus avati sõja- ja katastroofimeditsiinikeskus.”
ERR
“A War and Disaster Medicine Center Opened in Estonia.”
The Baltic Times
“Estonia speaks out against EU social media ban for kids.”
Politico Europe
“Interview: Luukas Kristjan Ilves.”
Tech Informed
“Defense Forces gets new powers for countering threats outside its territory.”
ERR
“Baltic states plan for mass evacuations in case of a Russian attack.”
Reuters
“Estonia and Denmark warn about the threat from Russia in the Baltic Sea.”
CPD
“US's Abrams and UK's Challenger 2 tanks unite in Estonia in a clear NATO signal.”
Army Recognition
“Estonia’s Coalition MPs Propose Tax Cuts to Position Country as “Remote Gambling Paradise.”
European Gaming
“Estonia plans to buy six more HIMARS launchers.”
Defense Industry Europe
“Tallinn - From the Middle Ages to the Modern Age.”
Yacht
“Estonian robotics firm to send 150 unmanned vehicles to Ukraine.”
Estonian World
“Wellness retreat to open in Hiiumaa summer of 2026.”
European Spa
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Around the Baltic Sea
Latvia orders more than 800 Russian citizens to leave by mid-October
Politico Europe
“Russian citizens who failed to comply with Riga’s new immigration rules must leave by Oct. 13 or risk deportation.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/latvia-orders-800-russian-citizens-out-mid-october/
Finland Can’t Hide From The Reality Of Putin’s Russia
Worldcrunch
“The new Iron Curtain across Europe now separates the two neighbors with a solid, impenetrable line that runs for 1,340 kilometers. A decade ago, more than 3 million people crossed back and forth every year along this motorway. Today, the region has become one of the most dangerous and volatile borders …”
“Finland to construct four icebreakers for the U.S.”
Yle
Anti-tank landmines along border with Russia
Novaya Gazeta
“Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia now have plans to create a 2,000-mile stretch of mined areas as part of a defensive effort against any possible attack from Russia.”
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“Anti-tank (AT) landmines are not covered by the Ottawa treaty and all countries are free to use them. AT mines target only vehicles (the weight of a human cannot set them off). The main issue with AP mines, which target humans, is that they can be set off by civilians as well as soldiers. … Minefields have proved very effective as a defensive tool in the current Ukraine war because of their ability to disrupt enemy assaults.”
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2025/10/09/undermining-putin-en
The History of Sweden’s secret Cold War plan to resist a Soviet invasion
The Times
“An underground network would have evacuated dignitaries and led resistance — and the author of a new book says Stockholm should revive the system in an unstable world.”
https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/sweden-underground-resistance-soviets-db7knhpbf
Russia’s blacklisted tankers dump oil in Europe’s seas
Politico Europe
“Shadow fleet vessels sail unimpeded in EU waters after leaving slicks near the continent. … A large oil spill left by a tanker could cost up to €1.4 billion to clean up …”
The psychology of drone sightings across Europe
The Guardian
“Incursions have so far caused few physical effects but experts say such incidents can leave people feeling more vulnerable.”
“Why Do Drones Lurking Above European Airports Remain Elusive?”
The Baltic Sentinel
“'Small airborne object' violated Estonian airspace.”
ERR
“Mysterious drone flights in NATO airspace have caused alarm across Europe.”
ABC News
“Getting a grip on drones across Europe.”
Politico Europe
“Prime minister: Estonia, Europe's drone wall a priority now.”
ERR
“Building an unbreachable drone wall is impossible, says EDF chief.”
ERR
“Look Who's Shooting Down Russian Drones: Belarus.”
RFERL
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“NATO has now outlined its new command structure in the Nordic region.”
Radio Sweden
“NATO weighing more robust response to continued Russian hybrid provocations.”
ERR
“Politics: The EU’s worst nightmare has never looked so real.”
Politico
UKDJ
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Putin’s Faltering War
How Ukraine Turned The Tables On Russia
The Atlantic, 7. Oct
“Ukraine is fighting a war of attrition. Any hopes that might have been raised by President Trump’s red-carpet diplomacy with Vladimir Putin have expired, and it is impossible to spend more than a few minutes near the front line without being confronted by Ukraine’s greatest vulnerability: lack of soldiers. Yet … the country may actually be able to achieve its military goals. Despite Russia’s demographic advantage, its efforts to envelop Ukraine’s formidable fortress belt—a string of strategic cities and logistics hubs in the country’s northeast—have had little success. Capturing the belt would take several years of hard fighting, given Ukraine’s recent success in damaging Russia’s oil pipelines and rear bases. Putin tacitly acknowledged Russia’s failure by demanding that Ukraine voluntarily cede the entire region in August, an idea that no one took seriously.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/10/ukraine-russia-drone-war-attrition/684419/
“Russia’s War Transforms Ukraine into a World-Leading Military Producer.”
Jamestown Org, 5. Oct
“Why thousands of Russian soldiers are deserting.”
Meduza, 8. Oct
“What Happened to All of Russia’s Tanks?”
The Nation Interest, 9. Oct
“Ukraina droonid ründasid Lukoili gaasitehast.”
ERR, 8. oktoobril
“Ukrainian drones are slowing Russia’s advance in the east.”
Christian Science Monitor, 8. Oct
“Vladimir Putin’s iron curtain is getting rusty.”
The Hill - opinion 9. Oct
Euromaidan Press, 9. Oct
Ukrainians Have Found an Effective Trick Against Russian Fiber-Optic Drones
The Baltic Sentinel
“Ukrainian engineers came up with a solution that is as simple as it is ingenious. Strangely enough, the trick was revealed on social media by a Russian military blogger: a rotating strand of barbed — or, to be exact, razor wire, reports Militarnyi.”
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“The idea is very simple. A drone doesn’t usually drag a fiber-optic cable through the air—it lays it down on the ground as it flies. The Ukrainian solution consists of about 150 meters of razor wire fencing connected to a small controller and battery. The device makes the wire rotate at regular intervals—spinning for one minute, pausing for another, and repeating this cycle continuously for 12 hours. If a fragile fiber-optic line being dragged along the ground happens to get caught in the spinning barbs, it’s instantly snagged and severed, leaving the drone blind and uncontrollable.”
‘If Russia Wins: A Scenario’
Book by Carlo Masala (2025)
Nordic Defence Review
Book Review
“Indifference or half-measures in the face of aggression embolden autocracies, reminds Carlo Masala, professor of international politics at Bundeswehr University Munich. Masala delivers a chilling geopolitical case study in his compact but sharply focused book Wenn Russland gewinnt. Ein Szenario (2025).”
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“Carlo Masala constructs a detailed hypothetical scenario whereby, in March 2028, after a formally concluded but ultimately Russian‑favoured war in Ukraine, Moscow tests NATO’s resolve by occupying Narva and the island of Hiiumaa, threatening Baltic security and stretching alliance cohesion to breaking point.”
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“In Masala’s conception, post‑war détente leads Europe—and the US—to ease up on defence, while Russia rebuilds its military in the shadows. A sudden limited strike in Estonia exposes how thin NATO’s political and military unity really is. The book raises the spectre of NATO’s Article 5 being denied and the alliance unravelling under calculated Russian pressure.”
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“If Russia Wins: A Scenario serves as a succinct, high-impact warning of what happens when deterrence is eroded and alliances fail to act—in an age of hybrid war. Masala’s scenario is about more than Estonia: it’s about respect for treaties, clarity of strategy, and the political courage to deter authoritarian revisionism. While speculative, the scenario should be treated not as distant fiction but as a stress test blueprint for alliance reform, defence readiness, and enduring transatlantic solidarity. The real possibility is not war in 2028—but a breakdown today that makes it inevitable tomorrow.”
https://nordicdefencereview.com/bunker-books-if-russia-wins-a-scenario-2025-by-carlo-masala/
“Russia: already at war with Europe?”
The Week
Hybrid Warfare and Populist politics
Nordic Defence Review
“The Kremlin has expanded its toolkit far beyond tanks and artillery. In the Baltic Sea, Russia’s shadow fleet of civilian oil tankers has been implicated in cutting undersea power and telecommunications cables; Finnish authorities arrested the Eagle S tanker in December 2024 after it allegedly dragged its anchor across a key electricity cable, and investigators reportedly found spy equipment on board. Research from Leiden University counted 44 documented Russian hybrid operations in 2024, up from 13 in 2023, including sabotage, arson and assassination attempts. Danish and Norwegian airports have had to close repeatedly after unexplained drone incursions; Denmark’s defence minister described the flights as “systematic” and said they resembled a hybrid attack. Danish intelligence officials openly warn that Russian espionage and sabotage are a high risk at home, even though definitive evidence of who launched the drones is hard to collect. …”
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