- EstoNews will not be sent out next week due
to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
It will return on Friday 1. December.
to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
It will return on Friday 1. December.
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"Do not believe *anything* until
the Kremlin denies it™"
(Twitter satire account)
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- The Sovietization of Estonian Community Houses (Rahvamaja)
Kulbok-Lattik, E. (2014). Acta Historica Tallinnensia, 20 (1), 157-190. doi:10.3176/hist.2014.1.06
(University of Jyväakylä Digital Archive - Finland)
“After the invasion of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union in 1940, extensive restructuring or sovietization of the Estonian public administration, economy, and culture, began. The article examines the sovietization process of community houses - how they were turned into the ideological tools of Soviet totalitarian propaganda.”
- Venemaa infooperatsioonide mõju: tehnilised ja psühholoogilised taotlused
(Diplomatic - Okt. 2017)
"Käesolevas artiklis keskendutakse infooperatsioonide täiendamisele küberelementidega Venemaa poolt, nagu seda on võinud näha Eesti (2007), Gruusia (2008) ja Ukraina, täpsemalt Krimmi (2014) puhul."
- Russian Propaganda, Disinformation, and Estonia’s Experience
(FPRI - Oct. 2015)
"As practiced today, psychological warfare involves certain “best-practices.” Disinformation, media propaganda, threats, and psychological techniques are used to deter or to destroy opponents. Defending against such attacks requires an open and balanced model that is based on the facts, that reflects reality, and that is not prejudiced."
- Theresa May attacks Russia over propaganda war
(The Times | BBC)
"The (Uk) prime minister accused President Putin of trying to “weaponise information” in the age of social media to undermine democracies. “I have a very simple message for Russia,” Mrs May said. “We know what you are doing.”
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- Ajaloo võltsimise süüdistuste nädal Kremli meedias
(Propastop - 13. Nov.)
"Novembri algus tõi mõnepäevase vahega Venemaa meediakanalitesse teemana Balti riikide süüdistamise ajaloo ümberkirjutamises. Etteheide, mis on viimase poole aasta jooksul kõlanud korduvalt, sai sel korral hoo sisse 1. novembril Kanti nimelise Balti Föderaalülikooli ja väljaande RuBaltic eestvedamisel toimunud diskussiooniklubis, kus ajaloo ümberkirjutamise süüdistus oli põhiteemaks."
- Oodata on propagandalugusid Eesti majandusest
(Propastop - 16. Nov.)
“… pakume välja neli teema, mis võivad järgnevatel kuudel Venemaa meedias suuremat tähelepanu saada."
- Russian troll describes work in the infamous misinformation factory
(NBC News)
"Lies... a merry-go-round of lies."
- Russian Military Spreads Fake Intelligence
(Jamestown Org.)
"Russian ‘evidence' … footage from 'AC-130 Gunship Simulator' video game."
- Report: Russian Information Warfare against the Ukrainian State and Defence Forces
(NATO STRATCOM)
"The project analyses the information activities of the Russian Federation from 1 April until 31 December 2014. … many cases Russia actively accuses the Baltic States of the same matters as it accuses Ukraine in order to deliberately discredit these countries in the international arena (e.g. accusations of rehabilitation of Nazism etc)."
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- Background article:
- Inside a pro-Russia propaganda machine in Ukraine
(BBC - 13. Nov.)
"A Russian "troll factory" in St Petersburg is working with the self-styled "Donetsk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine to produce extreme propaganda videos that aim to discredit pro-Ukrainian elements and stir up the conflict in the region."
- Defending the West from Russian Disinformation: The Role of Leadership
(FPRI - 13. Nov.)
"Considering the Baltic states have done this for decades with effective results, the United States should lean heavily on takeaways from the Baltic experience when crafting a strategy to defend the U.S. information space."
- The European Union Steps Up its Fight Against Fake News
(Fox Business | Lawfare - 13. Nov.)
"Sven Mikser, the foreign minister of Estonia, which has been a leading proponent of scaling up the EU's counter disinformation work, said there was a "growing consensus" about the threat posed to Western democracies, especially by Russian disinformation. "We've seen hybrid tactics ever since we regained our independence in the early 1990s," he said of Estonia in an interview."
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Friday 17.
November
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- Tallinna Raekoja platsil on juba jõulupuu tuled
(Delfi)
 |
| Foto: Eero Vabamägi - Postimees |
- President Kaljulaid in Rwanda
(The New Times)
"Kaljulaid's visit is part of a tour in the region which also took her to Ethiopia …"
- Estonian minister delivers EU statement at UN climate change conference
(ERR)
"Two years ago in Paris, we made a promise to the world: to protect the planet from climate change. This promise cannot be taken back; it is irreversible and non-negotiable. The days of doubting are over; we are witnessing the impacts of climate change with our own eyes. It is abundantly clear that we need to act. We have agreed on our goals, and it's now about making sure we deliver …”
- Minister of the Environment, Siim Kiisler
- Läti viies kolonn?
(Postimees)
"Välistoimetuse ajakirjanik Margus Parts sõitis sel nädalal lõunasse. See tähendab, et astus esmaspäeva hommikul Valgast üle piiri ja uurib nüüd, mis elu elavad inimesed nendes Põhja-Läti paikades …”
- Helsinki: Finnish stops for Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel being planned
(ERR)
"The proposed terminus for the Tallinn-Helsinki railway tunnel is Helsinki-Vantaa Airport."
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Thursday 16.
November
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- Commentary: Learning from the past
by Edward Lucas
(CEPA)
"Russia has largely ignored the centenary of the 1917 putsch, as the Bolshevik “revolution” should really be called. … For the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the anniversary is a chance to hammer home the most important piece of their historiography. They did not “become independent” in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. They regained an independence which was first achieved in 1918, and then interrupted by foreign occupation. Russia does not recognize this history."
- Mitme seadme üheaegne rike mattis Põhja-Tallinna pimedusse
(Postimees | ERR)
"Eleringi kommunikatsioonijuht Ain Köster täpsustas, et Põhja-Tallinn jäi osaliselt elektrita Volta alajaama rikke tõttu. Köster ütles, et kell 19.46 lülitusid Tallinnas, Tööstuse tänaval asuvas Volta alajaamas välja kaks 110 kilovoldi trafot ja Elering asus koheselt tegelema rikke põhjuse väljaselgitamisega."
—
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- US could deploy another brigade to Europe
(ERR)
- Terras: NATO kõrval on vaja selgemat pingutust ka Euroopa Liidult
(ERR)
"Terrase sõnul on Eesti koos NATO liitlastega teinud viimase aasta jooksul suure töö selle nimel, et alliansi kohalolek oleks nähtav, tuntav ja hästi korraldatud."
- UK consolidates Estonia battlegroup with additional armour
(Jane’s 360)
"The United Kingdom is to increase the number of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) to 10 ...”
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Wednesday 15.
November
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- Saaremaa vanim pukktuulik tehti korda ja pandi jahvatama
(ERR)
"Saaremaal tehti korda ja pandi jahvatama Kivestu pukktuulik, mis pärineb aastast 1781 ja on Saaremaa vanim. Viimati jahvatas tuulik vilja pool sajandit tagasi."
- Raha eraldamisega ootab USA Baltimaadelt suuremat koostööd
(ERR)
"USA võib järgmisel aastal eraldada Balti riikidele kaitsevõime tugevdamiseks kokku 100 miljonit dollarit ning abiga kaasneb sõnum - tehke rohkem koostööd."
- USA võib Balti riikidele heidutuseks eraldada 100 miljonit dollarit
(Postimees | ERR)
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- The European Parliament's Sexual Harassment Problem
(Spiegel)
"Sexual harassment has long been a fact of life in the European Parliament in Brussels. Recently, some women have begun speaking up. But the law-making body has been slow to address the problem."
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Tuesday 14.
November
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- Mogherini hails ‘historic’ EU defense pact
(Politico-Europe | Washington Post | Christian Science Monitor)
"Twenty-three countries have declared they will participate in a new EU defense cooperation pact."
--
"Estonian Defense Minister Jüri Luik said the main focus of the new initiative would be defense industries as “collective defense will always remain in NATO.” And despite calls from Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to set up an EU army, this idea remains “something which is very unlikely,” Luik said."
—
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- Estonia's ID card crisis: How e-state's poster child got into and out of trouble
by Kalev Aasmae
(ZDNet)
"Putting a positive spin on recent events, the state's former CIO, Taavi Kotka, argues that the way the country has handled the crisis is actually positive, because he believes it will become a textbook case for others. "No society depends on technology as much [as Estonia]. The communication and the reactions [will be studied]."
- 20 minutes from Helsinki to Tallinn in five years?
(Yle)
"Construction could, just possibly, begin next year on a rail link between Helsinki and the Estonian capital Tallinn that would be ready for traffic in the early 2020s. Peter Vesterbacka, formerly of Angry Birds gaming company Rovio, has big plans for a tunnel running under the Gulf of Finland … Drawing on financing and technology from China, he says that construction could start next year.”
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Monday 13.
November
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- Viktoriin: Kui hästi tunned Eesti linnade vappe?
(ERR)
- Estonian takes Nature Photographer of the Year 2017 Award
(Nature Talks | Delfi)
[In the landscape category: Remo Savisaar (EST) with “Early morning bog”.]
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- Two Border Cities Share Russian History - and a Sharp European Divide
(New York Times)
"Little divides the Russian town of Ivangorod and its Estonian twin, Narva, but a fairly narrow river. That, and a vast cultural chasm.”
- By 2020, Russia’s Entire Western Border Will Be Lined with Walls or Barbed Wire
(Window on Eurasia)
“… Russia’s western neighbors from Finland and Estonia in the north to Ukraine in the south are actively building these barriers and that despite the expense and the likelihood that people will find ways around them, “by 2020, the western borders of Russia will be fenced off along their entire perimeter.”
- Poland: Neo-fascists are making a shocking surge
(Politico-Europe | Washington Post | Slate)
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Russia
“Trust No One"
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- Russia Pours More Military Hardware Into ‘Fortress Crimea’
(Jamestown Org)
“… Russia’s top-ranking military official devoted significant attention to Crimea, which Moscow had forcibly annexed from Ukraine in spring 2014. In particular, Gerasimov noted that Russia has installed there a self-sufficient military formation consisting of a naval base, an army corps, as well as an aviation and air defense division. Also, the Black Sea Fleet (based out of Sevastopol) received six submarines, two frigates (the Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Essen, which took part in Russian military operations in Syria) equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, and three divisions of costal missile complexes Bal and Bastion. Gerasimov claimed these deployments are part of a strategy aimed at upgrading the military capabilities of the Southern Military District, which subsumes occupied Crimea …"
- Russians Possess Less than One Percent of World’s Wealth
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)
"Last year, Credit Suisse reports, the total wealth of the people of the world increased 6.4 percent to 280 trillion US dollars. Of that, Russians had only slightly more than one half of one percent - and most of that wealth is concentrated in a tiny segment at the top of the national income pyramid, with 80 percent of Russians not having any wealth at all. …"
- Top Russian Lawmaker Denies Communist Regimes Killed 100 Million People
(Polygraph.info)
“… these numbers are pulled out of a hat.” - Alexey Pushkov
--
“Hardly taken out of the clear blue sky,” said Paul A. Goble, former special advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. “To get to 100 million, however, requires two things: a relatively high estimate of losses in China from starvation and killings during the Great Leap Forward, and the inclusion of losses of Soviet populations during wartime. With those added, the number is far above 100 million - probably closer to 150 million.”
- Belarus and the 1917 Revolution
(Jamestown Org)
"In Russia, at the centennial of the 1917 revolution, they talk so little about it that some people abroad developed a sneaking suspicion this jubilee is kept out of sight of the citizenry because officials do not know what to say about it. … In Belarus, the situation can hardly be more different. Not a single media outlet neglected to publish an article (or multiple articles) devoted to the event."
- For Russians, 75 Years Later, Stalingrad Is a Battle to Remember
(New York Times)
"The fight raged for 200 days, and the city was reduced to ruins. … At the end, a population that had been half a million was just 35,000."
- Pro-Kremlin RT Registers Under U.S. Foreign-Agents Law
(RFERL | DOJ press release)
"The filing from RT’s American operating unit, T&R Productions LLC, was dated November 10 and was acknowledged by the Justice Department late on November 13."
—
"Production Company Registers Under the Foreign Agent Registration Act as Agent for the Russian Government Entity Responsible for Broadcasting RT."
- Russia lawmakers vote in favor of labeling media 'foreign agents’
(Deutsche Welle)
"The move comes after Washington gave the same label to RT and Sputnik."
- Russia moves to target foreign media in RT registration row
(BBC)
- Amnesty International Calls Russian Legislation On Foreign Media 'Serious Blow' To Journalists
(RFERL)
- RT's American subsidiary told the U.S. Justice Department that it doesn't know where its money comes from in Russia
(Medusa)
"RT’s American division is a company called “T & R Productions LLC” that works for an “autonomous noncommercial organization” known as “TV Novosti.”
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- T & R Productions LLC's Registration Statement
(US-DOJ)
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