ADMIN: Tomorrow I’ll be having my annual eye exam, so it’s quite possible that I won’t be able to do any posts. The drone attack on the Pskov airport this evening has some special characteristics. For one, Pskov is quite a long way off from Ukraine. First the big picture map, then a map that zeroes in. You can see that Pskov lies just next to the Estonian border:
Never thought I'd say this about a US-backed effort, but am hoping this "success" was more of a one-off than the skidway for the crazies to blast deeper and deeper into Russian territory despite the hopelessness of it all.
Mark, I attended the National Academy with an Estonian Colonel (he was about 28) from my conversations with him I can confirm your MI6 rumor about their national security. He also told me that their were very few high ranking security officials over the age of 30 (this was in 2000) as it was felt the older generation was completely compromised by the former USSR and could not be trusted. He at least, had a deep hatred for all things Russian, including a Moscow Police Captain in our class. The Captain looked at and acted toward him as one would a petulant child, that may have also sparked the hatred, idk.
And we're trying to keep all that hatred stirred up, rather than encouraging them to find a way to live together. Russians are a full third of the population in Estonia, including in their capital. Russians are a quarter of the population in Latvia. Yet they're trying to expel Russians who have lived there for generations. Right next door to Russia. That's what NATO means to them.
Generational grievances, drive some crazy stuff. I feel neglectful for not (as an Irish descendant) hating the English side of me for what happened during the potato famine. But we have plenty of that hate filled political division here too, how could politicians, politic without it.
Must read re EW and Pskov:
https://twitter.com/imetatronink/status/1696717011798351897
Never thought I'd say this about a US-backed effort, but am hoping this "success" was more of a one-off than the skidway for the crazies to blast deeper and deeper into Russian territory despite the hopelessness of it all.
Mark, I attended the National Academy with an Estonian Colonel (he was about 28) from my conversations with him I can confirm your MI6 rumor about their national security. He also told me that their were very few high ranking security officials over the age of 30 (this was in 2000) as it was felt the older generation was completely compromised by the former USSR and could not be trusted. He at least, had a deep hatred for all things Russian, including a Moscow Police Captain in our class. The Captain looked at and acted toward him as one would a petulant child, that may have also sparked the hatred, idk.
And we're trying to keep all that hatred stirred up, rather than encouraging them to find a way to live together. Russians are a full third of the population in Estonia, including in their capital. Russians are a quarter of the population in Latvia. Yet they're trying to expel Russians who have lived there for generations. Right next door to Russia. That's what NATO means to them.
Generational grievances, drive some crazy stuff. I feel neglectful for not (as an Irish descendant) hating the English side of me for what happened during the potato famine. But we have plenty of that hate filled political division here too, how could politicians, politic without it.
the drone targets were apparently Ilyushin "II-76" military transport planes. reporting is four planes are destroyed. Al-Jazeera reports the attack on Russian targets were across six locations, and Kiev sees a big missile/drone attack (in response?) https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/30/airport-in-western-russia-attacked-by-drones-aircraft-damaged-reports
This is MI6 for sure from Baltics as it expressly targeted military aircraft/airfield with overwhelming numbers. By design to spark a reaction.
What could go wrong launching a “deniable” attack from Estonia?
“What could go wrong?” Ha! An attack from an EU and Nato member country while Ukraine is neither…
Plausible deniability. We’ll done Ray!