✔︎ German chancellor Angela Merkel, whom many see as the present leader of the free world, will not seek re-election in 2021.
- Multiple sources - Monday
✔︎ Estonia is teaching the West how to battle against spies
- Washington Post
✔︎ On a Tiny Finnish Island: a Helipad, 9 Piers ... and Russian Military?
- Independent | New York Times
- see Thursday
✔︎ 'Exercise Trident Juncture' continues in Norway 'till 7. November
- Multiple sources
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- On-line version:
- ‘Kalevipoeg’ raamatu kaane grafik:
- 2014-2018 Archive:
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Friday
2. November
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✔︎ Estonia knows a lot about battling Russian spies, and the West is paying attention
(Washington Post)
"When it comes to Russian spies, this tiny Baltic country has a piece of advice for its Western partners: Name the agents, then shame them. So when the United States and major European allies did exactly that a month ago, Estonians felt a bit of quiet satisfaction. After all, this former Soviet republic for years has manned the front lines against covert spy operations and apparent infiltrations by Moscow.”
✔︎ Washington Post soovitab läänel võtta Vene spioonide püüdmisel Eestist eeskuju
(Postimees)
"USA ajaleht Washington Post avaldas täna artikli, milles kirjeldab Eesti aastatepikkust tööd Vene spioonide vahele võtmisel ning soovitab lääneriikidel sellest kogemusest õppida.”
- British Airways lõpetab otselennud Tallinna ja Londoni vahel
(ERR)
"Näha on ka mitmete lennufirmade ettevalmistumist Brexitiks, seda nii lennukipargi ümberpaigutamisel kui ka liinivõrgustike optimeerimisel."
- Tuleva aasta Võidupüha paraad toimub Tartus
(ERR)
"Kaitseliidu pressiesindaja ütles BNS-ile, et tuleval aastal täitub 100 aastat Eesti vägede ajaloolisest võidust Landeswehri üle Võnnu all ning 85 aastat riigikogu otsusest muuta 23. juuni riiklikuks pühaks."
- Exploring Latvia's Election Day Hack
by Anna Ūdre
(CEPA)
"The front page of Draugiem.lv, the eighth most popular website in Latvia, was replaced by a Russian flag and a message saying: “Latvians, it affects you. Russia’s border never ends! …"
- How Putin could yet save Britain from Brexit
by Mark Galeotti
(The Guardian)
"MP Ben Bradshaw has used parliamentary privilege to raise the question of the mysteriously bottomless pockets of Arron Banks, the main backer for Leave.EU. The Electoral Commission this week launched an investigation into whether he and one of his companies broke campaign finance rules in the run-up to the referendum. George Cottrell, once an aide to the former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, has been arrested by the FBI on money laundering charges, and we await the outcome of that investigation."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/02/putin-save-britain-brexit-russia-eu-referendum
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Thursday
1. November
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✔︎ On a Tiny Finnish Island: a Helipad, 9 Piers, and Russian Military?
(Independent | New York Times)
"The island, Sakkiluoto, belongs to Pavel Melnikov, a 54-year-old Russian from St. Petersburg, who has dotted the property with security cameras, motion detectors and no-trespassing signs emblazoned with the picture of a fearsome-looking guard in a black balaclava. The island also has nine piers, a helipad, a swimming pool draped in camouflage netting and enough housing — all of it equipped with satellite dishes — to accommodate a small army.”
"Finland’s intelligence service, according to recent reports in the Finnish news media, has long warned that property purchased in Finland by Russian nationals could be used for military purposes.”
—
"Kaj Karlsson, a Finnish contractor who supervised much of the construction on Sakkiluoto, said he could never work out what Mr. Melnikov was up to, especially after he started building new piers and installed a network of security cameras on an island with no people or crime."
--
- Finnish Authorities Reportedly Raided The Russian Military’s Secret Island Hideouts
(Task & Purpose)
“… reports suggest that the Russian government has increasingly gobbled up tiny islands in Finland in recent years as secret staging areas for Russian military assets.”
- Russian Navy's Aircraft Carrier Is Damaged While Undergoing Repairs
(Jamestown Org)
"Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, suffered another mishap while undergoing overhaul work (capitalny remont) at a dockyard in Roslyakovo, near Murmansk. The Kuznetsov was being renovated while moored inside floating dock PD-50 … (which) suddenly began to list at an increasingly dangerous angle as its tanks chaotically took on water. One of the PD-50’s two 70-ton cranes fell onto the deck of the Kuznetsov, causing damage."
- Economist: Immigration quota may be irrelevant in 10 yrs
(Baltic Times)
"According to Bank of Estonia economist Rasmus Kattai, the standard of living in Estonia in all probability will increase by such an amount that more and more people from other European Union countries will also want to come work or live here. "This way, the immigration quota will become either of little to no importance,” Kattai said in a press release.”
- Get your packages delivered via robot
(Washington Post)
"Starship Technologies was founded in Estonia in 2014 by two Skype founders. The company’s robots present an alternative vision of the future of package delivery by companies such as Amazon, UPS and Google, which are betting on drone delivery from above. Each company is looking for a cheaper solution to the “last mile” delivery problem - a product’s final path from warehouses to residents - which accounts for just over half of delivery costs ...”
- Starship Technologies App
—
- Estonian tech company Cleveron enters Canadian market
(Strategeast)
"The Viljandi, South Estonia based developer and manufacturer of delivery solutions Cleveron has expanded its activity to Canada by installing the first five of its parcel robots in the stores of the largest local retailer, Canadian Tire Corporation."
- Estonia calls up 1,248 reservists for Okas 2018
(Estonian World)
"At the proposal of the commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, reservists assigned to the 51st Logistics Battalion of the Support Command, including those assigned to the unit’s mobilisation reserve, have been called up to take part in a supplementary reservist training event …"
- Claim: With enough defence capability, Estonia can ignore allies’ advice
(ERR)
"Once Estonia possesses sufficient independent defence capability, it will no longer have to heed uncomfortable advice from its allies, Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) chairman Mart Helme said at an event introducing the party's positions on national defence on Wednesday."
- Fewer people moving to Finland, more leaving
(Yle)
"A total of 31,797 persons moved to Finland in 2017, which was some 3,100 fewer than the previous year."
- Revise And Resubmit: An Unconvincing Proposal For Permanent U.S. Troops In Poland
(War on the Rocks)
"A recent visit to Washington, by Polish President Andrzej Duda, garnered considerable media attention, as he offered to contribute $1.5–$2 billion for construction, and even to call it 'Fort Trump'. … While some political commentators thought it potentially a worthwhile idea, it was criticized by former U.S. Army Europe commander Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, Michael Fitzsimmons, and Michael Kofman. … It has been a debate worth having, and Poland is better off for not having its proposal ignored."
- Churchill and the Baltics
By Richard M. Langworth
(The Churchill Project)
Part 1 - Enter Winston Churchill
"Britain had been the first outside nation to take a practical interest in the Baltic independence struggle, which began in the wake of the Russian collapse and revolution of 1917.”
Part 2 - “Very Lively and Truculent” 1921-1931
"Baltic appeals to Britain for help in maintaining their independence were frequent and heart-rending."
Part 3 - “It Leaves Me Quite Cold” 1931-40
"Baltic historians in their partisanship tend to see British prewar policy toward Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in a narrow light."
Part 4 - “No doubt where the right lay” 1940-1995
"When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Churchill broadcast: 'the Russian danger is therefore our danger.' Many Britons now renewed the demand to recognize Soviet occupation of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.”
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Exercise Trident Juncture
_____________
- Russia tactics send NATO back to basics
(Deutsche Welle)
"Norway provides ample obstacles as the military alliance's make-believe battleground for the Trident Juncture exercise."
- NATO war exercises in Norway
(Euronews)
"29 NATO countries plus Sweden and Finland are participating in Exercise Trident Juncture, that's mostly based on defending a country from a "fictitious aggressor" — but with the geography of Norway, it's not difficult to see what they're preparing for. The drills are already considered a success simply for managing to move all the personnel and equipment on location."
- Nato jets over Finnish Lapland
(Yle)
"The Lapland Air Command is serving as base for a Nato exercise for the first time. Taking off from its airfield will be Finnish Hornets as well as US and Belgian fighter jets and aerial refuelling planes."
- NATO’s Trident Juncture: Old Dog, Old and New Tricks
(ICDS)
- ‘Cold War’ Takes New Meaning for U.S. Marines at a NATO Exercise
(New York Times)
"Warfare in northern Europe is entirely different. It requires attention to small details, like carrying cold-weather lubricant for machine guns, as well as to seismic decisions, like moving thousands of men and women and their heavy machinery and weapons across fields packed with snow - something American troops have not had to worry much about for more than a half-century.”
- Photos: NATO war games
(Various sources)
—
- NATO expects Russian 'Professionalism' as both prepare for war games
(RFERL)
- NATO denies Norway exercises show alliance is expanding northwards
(Euronews)
- NATO rejects comparison between ‘Trident Juncture’, Cold War exercises
(Jane’s 360)
 |
| "Norway’s aviation authorities has received a warning from Russia’s air traffic management center about upcoming rocket firings in the period from November 6th to 9th at daytime from 5 am to 7 pm.” |
- NATO warned about Russian missile test last week
(Norway Today | RFERL)
“… the Russian exercise will take place in the Norwegian Sea just off the Møre Coast, a short distance from Kristiansund, Molde and Ålesund, and in an area with several Norwegian offshore installations. The exercise will take place from Nov. 1st to 3rd.”
—
- Pro-Kremlin TASS: 2 of Russia's strategic bombers on mission over Barents, Norwegian seas
- Anti-NATO Demonstrations in Oslo
(News-in-english: Norway)
"Norway out of NATO, yankees go home,” chanted nearly 1,000 demonstrators who marched through downtown Oslo on Saturday and then assembled for a rally. They represented 27 organizations including Socialist Left (SV) and Reds political parties.”
—
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Tuesday
30. October
_____________
- Estonian financial sector little impacted by Danske scandal
(Reuters)
"The scandal involves 200 billion euros ($230 billion) in payments through Danske’s Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015."
- How Danske Bank's Estonia branch became a pipeline for dirty money
(FT)
- Kaljulaid nimetas Danske rahapesu asja kitsaskohad
(Postimees)
"Kaljulaid ütles Prantsuse telekanalile France24 antud intervjuus, et Danske rahapesu asjus tegid vigu nii Taani kui ka Eesti järelevalveasutused."
- Estonian, Danish supervisory authorities made mistakes
(ERR)
- Ratas encourages Norwegian companies to invest in Estonia
(Baltic Times)
"Our current account is at a surplus, the banks have a lot of capital, the budget is in balance and debt burden is low. Our economy, gross domestic product is growing for the ninth year in a row already."
- Estonia: Soviet history, Russian relations, defence, & the cutting edge of digital
(France24)
Part 1:
Part 2:
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Monday
29. October
_____________
- A Russian Urban Legend that Just Won’t Die – Anti-Moscow 'Amazon Fighters from the Baltics'
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)
"The story has it that there are beautiful Baltic women who have become snipers and have taken part in virtually all anti-Russian military actions from Afghanistan on. It has been the subject of at least two Russian feature movies, a huge number of tv programs and articles, and even has its own Wikipedia page."
- NATO jets in Baltics scrambled five times last week over Russian aircraft
(Delfi-Lithuania)
- Speakers of Baltic parliaments doubt their countries could be compensated for Soviet occupation damage
(Baltic Times)
"Viktoras Pranckietis, speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, said the Baltic countries "hit the wall.” … Eiki Nestor, speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, said "I'm not so sure something very positive can happen on this issue.” … Inara Murniece, speaker of the Latvia Saeima, said the Baltic nations should first agree among themselves on this issue.”
—
"The Estonian Justice Ministry said in mid-October that a special commission estimated the soviet occupation damage at 1.2 billion euros."
- More Tensions in the Sea of Azov
(Warsaw Institute)
"Russia responded to joint EU and NATO allegations go blocking the sea passage to Ukrainian ports with the ever-increasing military activities in this region. The state’s Black Sea Fleet launched military drills while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated that Russia would never agree to let any NATO vessels to enter the Sea of Azov.”
- Venemaa on Aasovil kehtestanud hübriidblokaadi
(Postimees)
"Venemaa on hakanud Aasovi merd oma järveks pidama.”
- Moscow’s Blockade of the Sea of Azov Intended to Force Kyiv to Lift Its Own on Crimea
(Window on Eurasia)
“Russia is seeking to create problems for Ukraine to force it into negotiations.”
- The Lessons of the Donbas Election Campaigns
(Carnegie Moscow)
"Just two months ago, there were no plans to hold elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, even though the four-year terms of the Donbas officials were coming to an end. The republics had said they didn’t have sufficient funding to hold elections, and that they feared a Ukrainian offensive. Then, the assassination of Donetsk leader Alexander Zakharchenko in late August forced everyone into an about-turn. It was decided that elections in the Donbas were necessary in order to fill a power vacuum and avoid destabilization, and they will take place on November 11."
- German chancellor Angela Merkel will not seek re-election in 2021
(The Guardian - UK)
"After dominating European politics for well over a decade, Angela Merkel has said her fourth term as Germany’s chancellor will be her last. Speaking after disastrous regional elections in Hesse and Bavaria for her Christian Democrats and its Bavaria-only sister party, Merkel on Monday said she saw the results as a clear signal that things can’t go on as they are.”
—
"Often hailed as the world’s most powerful woman and the de facto leader of Europe, Merkel long enjoyed German voters’ support as a guarantor of the country’s stability and prosperity."
"Merkel ei kandideeri parteijuhiks, kuid jääb 2021. aastani liidukantsleriks."
"Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble: Merkel won't be a 'lame duck’."
"Angela Merkel's farewell leaves Germany at crossroads."
"As Merkel’s star dims, Europe is facing perhaps its biggest challenge since 1930s."
"Angela Merkel’s decision may have surprising consequences."
“The Chancellor’s decision to step down as party chief means instability for her country and for Europe."
"Kohli tüdrukust liidukantsleriks ehk Angela Merkeli 29 aastat tipp-poliitikas."
"Ever since her 2015 decision to allow more than a million refugees to enter Germany, she has earned herself plenty of critics and enemies within her own party ...”
"The long painful end of Angela Merkel."
"Angela Merkeli poliitikukarjäär läbi aastate."
"Angela Merkel’s Exit Is Yet Another Blow to European Stability."
_____________
Russia
“Trust No One"
_____________
- The ruins of Aralsk-7: A long-abandoned top-secret Soviet biological weapons lab
(Meduza)
"Until the 1940s, the only thing on Vozrozhdeniya Island in the Aral Sea was a small fish processing plant. That changed when the Soviet government decided to open a top-secret biological weapons research and test site, transforming the quiet town of Kantubek into the closed military city Aralsk-7. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, the island was home to roughly 1,500 people — mostly scientists working at the laboratory, testing different viruses and bacteria on animals."
- GULAG was Not Something Far Away in Siberia: It was All Around Even in Moscow
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)
“… a new map of “The GULAG in Moscow” shows that Stalin’s camps and torture places were not somewhere far away as some imagine but everywhere.”
—
"In Moscow alone, the map shows there were 190 GULAG facilities. There were 174 forced labor locations, 121 sharashkas where imprisoned scientists were forced to work for the state, and 27 sites listed under the category “concentration camps and houses of arrest.”
Also on Euromaidan:
Screenshot.
For full-size interactive map, see topos.memo.ru/
- Putin, Seeing Europe as Threat to His Power, Making Russia a Chinese Colony
(Window on Eurasia)
"Although he comes from Petersburg, Vladimir Putin is above all “not a European politician but rather an anti-European one” because he views the democratic values of Europe as a threat to his power, Lev Shlosberg says. As a result, he prefers to cooperate with authoritarian China …"
- Russians Remember Victims Of Stalin's Great Terror
(RFERL | Meduza)
"Hundreds of people gathered at the Solovetsky Kamen (Solovki Stone) memorial on Moscow's Lubyanka Square on October 29 for the daylong ceremony called Returning The Names. Participants - relatives of the dead, rights activists, and others - read aloud the names, ages, occupations, and dates of executions of some 40,000 Muscovites - a fraction of the estimated 1 million or more Soviet citizens killed by the state in 1937-38."
--
"The human rights group Memorial has held the ceremony every year since 2006 at the site in plain view of the building that what was the headquarters of the Soviet KGB and now houses the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), its main successor."
—
- Provincial Russian Billboards Honor Stalin's Executioners
(RFERL)
"The Vladimir billboard campaign, created by the local museum of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor organization to the KGB, features portraits and short, sanitized biographies of officers who served in the Soviet security services. …"
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