Contents tagged with Estonia
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Estonia suggests strengthening NATO's naval and air forces in the Baltics
The Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Riho Terras, is of the opinion that NATO’s decision to deploy one battalion of ground forces to Poland and one to the Baltic countries is insufficient and that more thought should be given to strengthening deterrent forces at sea and in the air, Postimees reported.Terras made this statement at the meeting with the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe of NATO Allied Command Operations, General Curtis Scaparrotti, that took …
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Estonian PM: The constant presence of NATO troops should become the norm in our country
The constant presence of NATO troops in the country should become a new reality for Estonia. Interfax reports that the Prime Minister of Estonia and Leader of the Reform Party, Taavi Rõivas, made statements to that effect at the recent Reform Party meeting.
According to Rõivas, defense and allied relations should be strengthened because the security environment has become unstable and unpredictable and many previous signs of threat have become a reality. “Russia acts like an aggressor, which …
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NATO's Saber Strike exercises begin in Estonia
The Saber Strike 2016 international military exercises have begun in Estonia. Approximately 10,000 soldiers will participate, of which 1,500 are from the US. The remaining soldiers come from Estonia, Denmark, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Luxembourg, Norway, France, Slovenia, Finland and Germany. The exercises are being held under the leadership of the US Army in Europe.
The Saber Strike 2016 consists of several stages. The tactical stages will occur at the central polygon of the …
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Estonia plans to create a 'special zone' along the border with Russia
Estonian authorities will create a special zone along the border they share with Russia. This was said by the Estonian Minister of Internal Affairs, Hanno Pevkur, during an interview with Postimees.
“After the development is complete, there will also be a border zone in Estonia as in other Baltic states. The Latvian border zone is two kilometers wide, while the Finnish one is nearly three kilometers wide,” Pevkur said.
According to him, the width of the zone has not been established yet. …
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Russian military aircraft violates Estonian airspace
A Russian An-26 military transport aircraft violated Estonian airspace yesterday, according to the Estonian Defense Forces website. "At 09:51 [Tuesday], a Russian An-26 entered into the air space of Estonia near the island of Vaindloo without permission," the web message stated.
The plane was in Estonian airspace for less than one minute. It flew with a proper flight plan and with its transponder turned on. According to the plan, the plane was to remain in international airspace. At the time …
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Estonian PM: We expect NATO to establish a firm position in relation to Russia's actions
The Estonian Prime Minister, Taavi Rõivas, said that one of the outcomes of the July NATO summit should be the strengthening of security in the region. He said this during a meeting with Poland’s Prime Minister, Beata Szydło, on Wednesday in Warsaw.
According to him, Poland plays an important role in achieving this outcome.
Rõivas also expressed hope that the Alliance members will demonstrate a firm stance with regard to Russia’s actions in the Baltic Sea region.
“Russia constantly …
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Documentary film 'Donbas Seasons' caused a scandal in diplomatic circles
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Tallinn, Viktor Kryzhanovsky, requested that an Italian documentary film called Donbass Seasons not be broadcast in the European Union. A major scandal has emerged in diplomatic circles over the Italian documentary film about the situation in eastern Ukraine.
According to Rus.err (Estonian Public Broadcasting website), Kryzhanovsky appealed to the Estonian authorities with a request not to allow the screening of the documentary film Donbas Seasons in Estonia.
As …
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NATO Saber Knight exercise begins in Estonia
As reported by ERR, the press-service of the First Infantry Brigade declared that on Monday, May 30th, the Saber Knight international military exercises began in Tapa. More than 600 military personnel are participating.
Staff exercises will continue until the 9th of June. Their main task is to practice planning and conducting military operations in the Baltic states. These exercises will involve readiness to repel an attack from a simulated state called "Botnia,” the statement said.
Military …
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Estonia urges NATO to place Patriot anti-aircraft systems in the Baltic States
Estonian news portal Delfi reported that Riho Terras, the Estonian Defense Forces Commander, stated that the Baltic countries need Patriot missile systems to deter Russia from attacking.
He noted that insufficient air defense makes the Baltic region vulnurable to possible surprise attacks from Russia. According to Terras, NATO has the ability to increase the strength of the Air Force stationed in the region and form batteries of Patriot systems.
"For our defense capability it is very …
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Estonia urges NATO to increase its presence in the Baltic states
A strong NATO presence is required in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, according to Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas.
“We need NATO to provide a permanent military presence in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These forces may be subjected to a rotational schedule,” Rõivas said this in an interview with Die Welt newspaper, which was published on the 26th of May.
He stressed the need for the constant presence of these troops. “These troops should always be present to act as a deterrence,” Rõ …