Latvia should increase the number of defence personnel by at least 1.3 times to around 31,000 in view of the current geopolitical situation, Major General Imants Ziedins of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) stated, LETA reports. He noted that such an increase would not be possible without the compulsory military service. Ziedins said that…
The commander of the Estonian Military Academy (KVA), Brigadier General Vahur Karus, may become the country’s next defence chief, sources told Postimees, ERR reports. The term of the current commander of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), General Martin Herem, will end in 2025. Herem’s former deputy, Major General Veiko-Vello Palm, is unlikely to succeed him due…
A leak of alleged security details of NATO’s summit in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, was linked to a breach of Lithuanian government IT systems, the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) announced, BNS reports. NKVC director Vilmantas Vitkauskas said that the seriousness of the incident was “likely to be greater than initially thought.” The government chancellery has…
Joint policy coordination among the three Baltic States was crucial in the current geopolitical situation, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking during an official visit to Lithuania, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Lithuania shared common interests in terms of EU and NATO policy, strengthening security and defence capabilities, ensuring energy security and independence,…
The number of serious cyber incidents recorded in Estonia stood at almost 75 per week in the beginning of June 2023, which was up from around 40 incidents in the beginning of 2023, Tõnu Tammer, cyber incident manager at the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), said, ERR reports. RIA’s experts have identified around a dozen…
Latvia’s Minister of Interior, Maris Kucinskis, has added three owners of the Ventspils-based confectionery producer, Pobeda Confectionery, to the list of foreigners banned from entering the country due to national security concerns, Baltic News Network reports. In March 2023, Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) found that Russian confectionery producer Pobeda, which has the same owners…
Latvia donates around 70% of cars seized from drunk drivers to Ukraine, the State Revenue Service (VID) announced, LSM reports. The government has sent a total of 151 confiscated vehicles to Ukraine since March 2023. The local charity organisation, Agendum, provides for the delivery of most of the cars to Ukrainian government institutions.
Estonia has extradited Russian citizen Vadim Konoshchenok, suspected employee of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), to the US, BNS reports. Konoshchenok was arraigned at a federal court in New York on 14 July 2023. He is suspected of violating sanctions by smuggling strictly regulated electronics and tactical ammunition of US origin from Estonia to Russia….
Estonia continues to push for an EU-wide ban on Russian tourists, ERR reports. Andres Siplane, chief sanctions expert at the Foreign Ministry, said that discussions on a wider ban on Russian tourism continued almost every day behind closed doors. He said that Estonia was talking to Georgia about the issue as well. However, it is…
