Contents tagged with Estonia

  • Wounded Ukrainian soldiers arrive in Estonia for treatment

    Five injured Ukrainian soldiers arrived in Estonia for medical rehabilitation, Postimees reported.

    The servicemen had been wounded fighting against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

    This is the fifth group of servicemen from the Ukrainian Army undergoing treatment in Estonia. Since last year, 28 soldiers have undergone medical rehabilitation in Estonia at the expense of Tallinn.

    Similarly, Lithuania is planning on hosting 50 wounded Ukrainian soldiers this year while they undergo …

  • Estonian Air Force: US may deploy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the Baltic

    The Commander of the Estonian Air Force, Colonel Jaak Tarien, stated that U.S. fifth generation F-35 fighter jets could soon be deployed in the Baltic States. According to him, the aircraft will be invisible to the Russian anti-aircraft defense system in Kaliningrad.

    “This aircraft is called a flying supercomputer. For example, the F-35 can stay invisible to the Russian anti-aircraft defense system that is located in the Kaliningrad region,” Tarien noted. According to him, if F-35 fighter jets …

  • Polish soldiers arrive in Estonia

    On Thursday, an infantry company from the Armed Forces of Poland arrived in Estonia, as reported by Postimees, citing a statement released by the headquarters of the Estonian Defense Forces.

    The 5th Company of the 7th Motorized Battalion of the 17th Motorized Infantry Brigade will stay in Estonia until July 31 to develop cooperation with Estonian soldiers and other allies in Estonia.

    The company, reinforced by armored personnel carriers, is made up of nearly 150 servicemen. Polish soldiers …

  • Estonian citizen to be extradited to Ukraine for fighting in the Donbas

    An Estonian citizen who is suspected of fighting on the side of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Vladimir Polyakov, will be extradited to Ukraine, Evropeyskaya Pravda reported.

    This was announced on Friday after the Estonian Supreme Court did not approve Polyakov’s appeal.

    "I am disappointed and now only hope that the government of Ukraine will fulfill the Minsk Agreements and grant amnesty to all combatants on the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. If this happens, …

  • 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 …

  • 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 …

  • 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 …

  • 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. …

  • 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 …

  • 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 …