Finland
Zelenskyy discusses tougher sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet with OSCE chief
The President of Ukraine meets with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Elina Valtonen to discuss strengthening sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet. Finland provides Ukraine with 26 defense aid packages worth €2.3 billion.
Sibiga discusses strengthening air defense with Finnish Foreign Minister
Minister Sibiga met with Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen to discuss strengthening air defense and countering Russia's hybrid threats. The parties agreed on the priorities of Finland's OSCE Chairmanship for 2025.
Ukraine's passport has risen to 30th place in the world ranking
Ukraine has improved its position in the Henley Passport Index 2025, rising to 30th place with 148 visa-free destinations. Singapore topped the ranking with access to 195 countries, ahead of Japan and European countries.
Finland declares tanker that damaged submarine cables unseaworthy
The Finnish authorities have discovered 32 technical malfunctions on the Eagle S tanker carrying Russian oil. The vessel remains under arrest on suspicion of damaging the submarine cable between Finland and Estonia.
Baltic states prepare assistance to Moldova after gas supply cut-off - joint statement
Eight Nordic countries have announced their intention to increase assistance to Moldova after the suspension of Russian gas supplies on January 1, 2025. The NB8 countries praised the Moldovan authorities for their efforts to ensure energy stability.
Tanker anchor found at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland, which could have torn submarine cables
Law enforcers have recovered an anchor from the Gulf of Finland that is believed to belong to the Russian tanker Eagle S. The discovery may be related to the damage to the communication cable between Finland and Estonia on December 25.
NATO deploys a dozen ships to protect underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea
NATO is deploying up to 10 ships to the Baltic Sea to protect critical underwater infrastructure. The operation will last until April and is being carried out at the request of Finland and Estonia.
Submarine cable off the coast of Taiwan may have been “damaged by a Chinese ship”
The Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Shunxing 39, owned by a Chinese company, damaged a communication cable near the port of Keelung. Taiwan asked South Korea for help in investigating the incident.
Finnish customs investigates 900 cases of prohibited exports to Russia
Since 2022, Finnish customs has launched more than 900 pre-trial investigations into the export of sanctioned goods to Russia. Recent cases include the illegal supply of drones and electronics worth hundreds of thousands of euros.
Finnish court upholds detention of 'shadow fleet' tanker that damaged cables
A Finnish court has rejected a petition to release the Eagle S tanker from the “shadow fleet” that damaged energy and communication cables. The Cook Islands-flagged vessel is suspected of serious crimes.
Baltic Sea becomes the epicenter of Russia's hybrid war against NATO - media
A series of incidents in the Baltic Sea, including the shooting of a German helicopter and damage to an undersea cable, point to hybrid warfare by Russia. NATO recorded about 300 interceptions of Russian aircraft last year.
Polish Prime Minister announces steps to strengthen NATO's control over Baltic waters
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte promised to increase military presence in the Baltic Sea after the incidents with the cables. Poland proposed to make the Baltic Sea a zone of enhanced NATO military control.
NATO responds to damage to cables in the Baltic Sea: what was decided
NATO is stepping up its military presence in the Baltic Sea after submarine cables between Estonia and Finland were damaged. The alliance is treating the incident as a possible sabotage and is planning additional security measures.
The Czech Republic is among the world leaders in the consumption of diabetes medicines
The Czech Republic ranks 4th in the world in terms of consumption of diabetes and cardiovascular drugs. Experts attribute this to both high morbidity and excessive consumption of medicines.
Trace of anchor damaging cable found in Gulf of Finland
A trace of anchor dragging tens of kilometers long was found at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland. The Russian vessel Eagle S is suspected of having damaged the power cable between Estonia and Finland.
Suspected Estlink-2 cable damage, Eagle S tanker moved for detailed investigation
The Finnish authorities have moved the Russian tanker Eagle S for a detailed investigation into the damage to the submarine cable. The vessel is suspected of damaging the Estlink-2 electric cable and four telecommunications cables.
Russia has rehearsed an attack on Finland and the Baltic States
Russia has practiced a scenario of an attack on Finland and the Baltic states using various types of troops. According to NATO, the attack could include strikes from the sea, land and air through Murmansk.
Finnish police have seized the tanker Eagle S for investigation into cable damage
The Finnish police have confiscated the tanker Eagle S for an investigation into the damage to the submarine power cable between Finland and Estonia. The vessel is being escorted to the port of Kilpilahti for a technical investigation.
russia increases production of Shaheds for winter campaign against Ukraine - ISW
The Alabuga plant produced 5,760 Shahed drones in 9 months of 2024, twice as many as in 2023. russia plans to produce 10,000 decoy drones by the end of the year to overcome Ukrainian air defense.
Olena Zelenska on the achievements of 2024: 18 new audio guides and hundreds of books for Ukrainians in the world
In 2024, we launched 18 new Ukrainian-language audio guides to cultural sites around the world. We also donated hundreds of Ukrainian books to libraries in 8 countries as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelves project.
Lithuania is taking measures after the damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced the strengthening of security measures after the detection of damage to underwater communication cables. The Navy has increased patrols, and NATO will increase its military presence in the region.
NSDC CCD explains why the Kremlin is silent about the Azerbaijani plane and the detained tanker in Finland
Russia refuses to comment on two incidents: the crash of an Azerbaijani plane and the detention of a tanker near Finland. The National Security and Defense Council explains this as a typical Kremlin tactic in information warfare.
NATO increases military presence in the Baltic Sea after cables are damaged
NATO increases its military presence in the Baltic Sea after submarine cables are damaged.
The EU is preparing new sanctions against russia's “shadow fleet” over the incident in the Baltic Sea
The EU will strengthen the protection of submarine communications in the Baltic Sea after damage to cables suspected to be caused by russia. It plans to improve threat detection systems and expand international cooperation.
Estonia will strengthen protection of underwater infrastructure and plans to engage NATO allies
Following the damage to the EstLink 2 cable, Estonia plans to increase oversight of undersea infrastructure with NATO. The government held an emergency meeting and discussed protection measures with the allies.
Finland inspects oil tanker of Russia's 'shadow fleet' after cable damage incident - FT
The Finnish authorities are investigating the involvement of the Eagle S tanker from the Russian “shadow fleet” in damaging the Estlink 2 submarine electric cable. The vessel was stopped in Finnish waters after the incident last Wednesday.
Three communication cables between Estonia and Finland are out of order - media
Three additional communication cables between Finland and Estonia were found to be damaged, in addition to the previously damaged Estlink 2. The Finnish company Fingrid is considering the possibility of sabotage, and police are checking the surrounding ships.
NATO not ready for conflict with russia without u.s. support - The Independent
Leaders of three frontline NATO countries have called on the alliance to increase defense spending. The countries are concerned about a possible decline in U.S. involvement in European security after the elections.
Finnish authorities investigate the disconnection of an underwater power line to Estonia
On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 line between Finland and Estonia was interrupted. The Finnish authorities are investigating the cause of the outage, not ruling out the possibility of vandalism.
Power cable between Estonia and Finland is out of order: what is known
The EstLink 2 power cable connecting Estonia and Finland has been disconnected in an emergency. Operators in both countries are working to determine the cause of the failure, and power supply is being provided by backup facilities.