Contents tagged with Estonia

  • Estonia and Latvia begin joint military exercises Hurricane 2017

    In Estonia, on Saaremaa Island and in Pärnu County, large-scale exercises named Orkaan-2017 (Hurricane-2017) organized by the voluntary paramilitary organization Kaitseliit (Estonian Defense League) are to begin soon.

    Over a thousand people from Estonia and Latvia will participate in the exercises, Interfax reports citing the press service of Kaitseliit.

    As the head of the Lääne County of the Defense League, Lieutenant Colonel Tõnu Mijl stated, "the exercise will also involve local government …

  • Large-scale NATO cyber exercise have started in Estonia

    In Estonia, a large-scale NATO Cyber Coalition exercise began, as stated in a message on the NATO website.

    The exercise includes more than 700 participants from 25 member states, as well as partner countries, the EU, and industry and academia representatives. This is the 10th annual occurrence of these exercises.

    The goal of the exercises, which will end on Friday, is to test the capabilities of NATO and Alliance partners to counter cyber attacks, as well as to improve the interaction of …

  • President of Estonia: Ukraine should start preparing for EU membership now

    Estonian President, Kersti Kaljulaid, believes that Ukraine should prepare for negotiations on their membership in the European Union even before the potential is recognized, as Kaljulaid stated in Brussels on the eve of the Eastern Partnership summit.

    In answering journalists’ questions about when the EU will recognize the prospect of Eastern partners' membership, the President noted that they should not wait for formal recognition, but start to work now on preparing for the membership …

  • Russian plane violates Estonian airspace

    A Russian Il-76 plane violated Estonia’s airspace, the Estonian Defense Forces headquarters reported.

    The headquarters’ press service reported to Interfax news agency on Tuesday that “today at lunchtime, an Il-76 state airplane of the Russian Federation entered the airspace in the region of the Vaindloo island without authorization”.

    The plane was reportedly in Estonian airspace for less than a minute. Its transponder was active and a flight plan had been filed. The plane made no radio …

  • Estonia calls on NATO to strengthen its presence in Baltics

    The President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid stated that the upcoming NATO summit should address the issue of strengthening the presence of the Alliance troops in the Baltic region, the President’s press service reports.

    At a meeting with the ambassadors of Great Britain, France and Denmark to NATO, who arrived in Estonia, the President stated that at the Alliance summit in 2018 "we must find a solution of how, should the need arise, to organize deployment of additional forces in the Baltic Sea …

  • Russian FSB agent detained in Estonia

    Over the past weekend, the Internal Security Service of Estonia detained a Russian citizen at Narva checkpoint who is believed to be an agent of the Federal Security Service of Russia. The ERR Estonian news agency reports that the man was detained on cybercrime charges and that he was travelling from Estonia to Russia.

    On Monday, October 6, the Estonian Harju County Court issued an arrest warrant for the suspect. He is charged with non-violent actions aimed against the independence and …

  • Construction of NATO base in Estonia completed

    In the Estonian military town of Tapa, the construction of a large defensive complex for the deployment of a NATO battalion group has been completed, Postimees.ee reports.

    “The complex [at the NATO military base in Tapa] will be ceremonially opened by Defense Minister Jüri Luik together with representatives of the Estonian Defense Forces and representatives of [our] allies. The complex includes 20 buildings, including three barracks, a cafeteria, training facilities and auxiliary buildings. …

  • Sibul-2017 joint military exercises begin in Estonia

    In Estonia, military exercises, named Sibul 2017 ("Onion 2017") and organized by the volunteer military organization Kaitseliit (Estonian Defense League), were launched on Saturday.

    The maneuvers are being held at the Central Range of the Defense Force near the town of Tapa, in conjunction with the NATO combat group deployed in Estonia. In the classroom, combat skills will be developed with regard to conventional warfare.

    According to the exercise scenario, the combat and rear companies of …

  • Estonian Ministry of Defense: Russia is ready for military intervention in Belarus

    Russia is ready for military intervention in Belarus, just as it did in Ukraine, if the political situation changes in an undesirable direction for the Kremlin, stated the head of the Estonian Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Riho Terras in an interview with ERR.

    "Like Ukraine, Russia is planning military steps against Belarus if the political situation changes there. Russian military and security structures are preparing to intervene and conduct a military operation in Belarus if necessary. …

  • Estonia says it has every right to deny Russian journalists accreditation if they undermine country’s security

    The Estonian presidency of the Council of the European Union said that it has a right to deny Russian journalists accreditation if it considers that their actions are aimed at subversive activities, reported EUobserver.

    "Estonia reserves the right of not accrediting or considering as media such channels [like those belonging to the Rossiya Today group] whose editorial offices are not independent, who do not follow good journalistic practice," the Estonian presidency stated.

    Estonia also said …