TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian fascist invaders.
I am a 73 year old Covid hermit who
lives on 10 acres in a sparsely populated area of the Ozarks. I heat with wood that is leftover by the lumber industry. When cutting oak for lumber only the trunk is used.
The largest town is population 2993. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
Estonia to ask NATO to deploy 'deterrent fleet' in Baltic Sea after submarine cables cut
Estonia intends to ask NATO to deploy a "deterrent fleet" in the Baltic Sea after the submarine cables were cut, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.
According to him, consultations on this issue will be held within the framework of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Alliance, which envisages discussion of threats to the security, territorial integrity or political independence of any of the bloc's countries.
"Damage to critical infrastructure is becoming more commonplace, the problem is recurring, which means that countries must better protect their infrastructure and better intercept ships, along with deterrence there must be the ability to more quickly identify the perpetrators," Michal said . He noted that the most important thing is to increase the level of monitoring of potential threats.
The North Atlantic Alliance is ready to help Estonia protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
"NATO stands by its allies and condemns any attacks on critical infrastructure. We are following the investigations launched by Estonia and Finland and are ready to provide further support," Rutte said. However, he did not specify what kind of support he was talking about.
In response to the incident, Estonia has deployed the Raju, a naval patrol vessel, to safeguard the Estlink 1 power cable, which remains operational.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced the move on X, adding that Estonia is prepared to protect its energy links with Finland "by military means if necessary."
Pevkur also revealed that Estonia has proposed collaboration with Finland on securing the cables and suggested that other Nato allies, such as Sweden, Germany or Poland, might join the effort.
Finnish authorities have boarded and detained the Eagle S, a Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker linked to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", a network of tankers operating without insurance recognised by western countries.
The vessel was observed to slow down when in the vicinity of the cable when it was damaged.
According to the EU, the shadow fleet threatens security and the environment, while simultaneously funding Russia's war chest.
"We propose additional measures, including sanctions targeting this fleet," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Earlier this month, the EU approved sanctions against approximately 50 Russian oil tankers linked to the shadow fleet. Efforts to safeguard subsea cables, including enhanced international cooperation, are also being intensified.
The photo shows the tanker, which was boarded by armed Finnish police from the air.
Elon says American workers are not good enough
Nikita Chaly was 8 years old. He lived in the Sumy region: in the village of Ulanovo, and in the spring of 2024, due to Russian shelling, the family moved to the city of Hlukhiv. They settled in a dormitory. That is where the enemy hit on November 18, 2024. His mother, Tatyana, and older brother, Vasyl, also died.
Nikita is remembered as cheerful, inquisitive, and smiling.
"The boy dreamed of a peaceful life, of victory and a quick return to his home. He dreamed of meeting his classmates in the walls of his native school," the community said.
Nikita was buried in Hlukhiv. At his funeral, they brought a toy train and sweets, which the boy had asked for in a letter to Saint Nicholas written the day before the tragedy. In this letter, he also asked for victory for Ukraine.
Goodnight Resisters everywhere
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The plan is also to recruit a police reserve of 1,000 security personnel nationwide as a back-up in case of a major event, in addition to the 29,000 volunteers already training as part of the Estonian Defense League.
Bolstering numbers isn’t easy in a place like Narva since applicants have to be fluent in Estonian and be a citizen to serve in the police.
“In this region we are always struggling to recruit new officers,” he said.
Inside Narva's imposing riverside fortress, which at various points over the last 700 years has been held by Danes, Germans, Poles, Swedes, Russians, Soviets and now Estonians, the city museum's CEO Maria Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova said it's tough to fight Moscow's information war.
This year, Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova came under online attack for running an exhibition titled Narva 44 dealing with the destruction of the border city during World War II by Soviet forces.
The Kremlin blames the devastation on retreating German troops, she said, but the photos showed a different story.
The exhibition annoyed Narva's local council. Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova's team also attracted criticism for placing a giant banner on the side of the fortress facing Russia proclaiming "Putin is a War Criminal" during Russia's Victory Day celebrations in May.
Estonia is trying to keep relations with its ethnic Russians and with Moscow from boiling over.
While Finland has closed all of its land border crossings with Russia, Estonia keeps a bridge in Narva open to foot traffic, which means there's a constant focus on policing the flow of people.
Festering discontent is clear from those trying to cross.
At the entrance to the border checkpoint there's a long queue snaking out into the town square as hundreds wait in the snow for passage into Russia. Travelers traversing the long, icy walkway over the bridge into Russia, many dragging big rolling suitcases, groan in Russian that the Estonian authorities have forced them to wait for hours due to cumbersome exit checks.
Belitšev blamed the Russians for creating traffic problems to make his team look bad and incite ill-feeling, but added it's not his job to make transit to an "aggressor" state easy.
“If you want to enter Russia, it shouldn’t be comfortable," he said.
I am a Democrat who supports Ukraine in their battle against The Russian fascist invaders.
I am a 73 year old Covid hermit who
lives on 10 acres in a sparsely populated area of the Ozarks. I heat with wood that is leftover by the lumber industry. When cutting oak for lumber only the trunk is used.
The largest town is population 2993. The county is 13k people scattered over 713 square miles.
Joined Dec 2022
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