Monday Morning News & Notes
Ozone layer heal thyself. Climate change situation dire.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🌍
Some good news on the environment front. Scientists with NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that the ozone layer could heal itself by 2066. During the peak ozone depletion period this year from September through October this year, the hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole was smaller than seen in previous years. It ranked as the seventh-smallest opening since recovery began in 1992. That is when the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals, took effect.
Scientists say the recovery is due to the combination of declining use of the ozone-depleting chemical chlorofluorocarbon and an unexpected infusion of ozone carried on wind currents from the north of the Antarctic.
NASA Earth Sciences Chief Scientist, and leader of the ozone research team, Paul Newman
“The 2024 Antarctic hole is smaller than ozone holes seen in the early 2000s. The gradual improvement we’ve seen in the past two decades shows that international efforts that curbed ozone-destroying chemicals are working.”
The ozone layer acts as a layer of planetary sunscreen, shielding us from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In areas where the ozone layer wanes, excessive exposure to ultraviolet light can increase cases of skin cancer, damage aquatic plants, and even reduce agricultural crop yields.
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It is almost certain that 2024 will be the warmest year ever recorded. The EU climate change service Copernicus 2024 will likely be the first year on record where global temperature increases will exceed 1.5 degrees compared to the preindustrial period. 2023 saw a temperature increase of 1.48°C.
The Paris Agreement required countries to work together to limit global warming to 1.5°C. It is now looking like a mission impossible. Scientists estimate we would have to cut global emissions by 7.5% every single year between now and 2035 to reach the target. A 7.5% reduction is roughly equal to the emissions that were cut in the first year of the COVID pandemic when the world essentially shut down. And we would have to do that every year for the next decade.
The continued increase in global warming means consequences for severe weather events like searing hot temperatures, droughts, torrential rain, and flooding.
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“Increased death tolls are only the tip of the iceberg.”
The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change analyzes the threat of climate change and the risks it poses to human health. Director General Marina Romanello says this year ten of the 15 indicators used to measure climate change impacts have reached record high levels.
“These are the most worrying results we have seen.”
According to the report, by 2023, the amount of land area on earth experiencing heavy rainfall had increased by 61% since the 1990s. That means an increased risk of flooding and the spread of disease. Last year, people around the world were exposed to 50 more days of high temperatures, posing a risk to human health. Heat-related deaths among vulnerable seniors have increased by 167% since the 90s. Drought conditions were recorded across 48% of the earth’s land surface, exposing 151 million people to food insecurity.
The report was sharply critical of governments and companies across the globe. It found that 72 of the 82 countries analyzed spent some $1.4 trillion subsidizing fossil fuels. In some countries, they were spending as much money subsidizing fossil fuels as they were investing in healthcare.
The agency says if governments prioritized public health and climate adaptation instead, it would decrease human suffering and increase long-term economic profitability.
“The health effects on the economy are enormous. A healthy workforce and a thriving population are good for the economy. This must be taken into account in order to make wise investments.”
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Temperatures in the village of Nellim in Finnish Lapland hit a record high of 11.9°C on Friday morning. The previous record high was 11°C recorded in 1975. Temperatures in the Arctic region remain unusually mild for the fall.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute said that both September and October were also unusually mild. Finland recorded temperatures exceeding 25°C for a record eight days in September.
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A big storm that tore across Finland last week whipped the country with hurricane force winds, the first time winds of such strength have ever been recorded in Finland. The sheer power of the gusts sweeping the country fell over 100,000 cubic meters of trees across a swath of the country.
Finnish authorities say that because of the sheer amount of downed trees across such a broad area, the clean-up will be complicated and costly.
🇪🇸
As people in flood-ravaged Valencia continue to direct their anger at authorities, the Spanish government has quickly approved an aid package for the region worth €10.6 billion. The money will be directed at the areas hardest hit by the flooding. People who suffered damages to their homes will qualify for between €20,000 and €60,000 in emergency support. Monies will also be directed to companies and municipalities for flood-related support.
The flooding, the worst seen in Europe in decades, claimed over 200 lives and caused massive damages. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Valencia, demanding the regional governor resign. The authorities are at the centre of an outpouring of anger due to not issuing an emergency alert until it was too late.
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Less than a month after record rainfall caused massive flooding in Vejle, the municipality organized a walk for residents through some of the city’s hardest-hit areas. The Kommune wanted to show citizens the steps that are being taken to mitigate future flood risks in those areas and gather input from locals. However, just two people showed up out of the total of just four people who registered. And only one of them actually lived in the city.
The walk was led by the municipality’s højvandsvagt (High Water Watchman), Paul Landsfeldt, who said the turnout was disappointing.
“I had hoped that there would have been more of the citizens who had suffered from flooding who might have had some input on how we can also make improvements.”
Vejle’s Environment Committee Chair, Søren Peschardt, thinks the walk was a great idea but blames the poor turnout on a lack of communication. He noted that even he had no idea the municipality had scheduled such a tour until he heard about the lack of interest after the fact.
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Despite a fairly dry fall so far, the municipality of Kolding isn’t taking any chances. Municipal workers have already started laying out sandbags in areas that have historically been prone to flooding.
Nature, Environment, and Climate Committee Chair Jørn Chemnitz:
“We are basically just waiting for the floodwaters to come. And when they do, we will be ready to hopefully stop them. We know what season it is.”
The Kommune is already at work on other climate adaptation projects, including building a pump-sluice at the outlet of Kolding Å (creek). Workers are also busy building up the banks along the stream that runs through the city. The municipality also has a mobile dam that can be deployed quickly.
Many communities around Denmark experienced flooding due to a record-high storm surge in October 2023.
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Concerns are mounting about the fine particulate matter produced by airplane traffic at Copenhagen Airport. Denmark’s Ministry of Environment recently initiated an investigation to determine how much particulate matter is being produced, how much of it is in the air, and the health impacts. The mayor for Dragør Kommune, Kenneth Gøtterup, says his municipality should be included in the study.
DR reported last week that measurements in Tårnby showed high concentrations of ultra-fine particulate matter in the air where there are often children. The concentrations registered as higher than along H.C. Andersens Boulevard in Copenhagen, one of the streets with the most concerning air quality in the city.
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On the Danish island of Lolland, Lungholm Lake and the surrounding area have been declared a protected nature area. The lake was created in 2020 when construction on the massive Fehmarn Belt tunnel began on Lolland. The work on the tunnel under the Baltic that will connect Denmark to Germany meant wiping out the old lake and wetland.
Since the new lake was established, some 70 bird species have arrived in the 40-hectare large nature area.
The tunnel is scheduled to open in 2029. When it does, people can travel between Germany and Denmark by car or train in just minutes.
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Some big names from Europe will be missing when the UN climate summit COP29 begins in Azerbaijan today. European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen did not make the trip due to what her office called “institutional duties.” The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, will participate in her place.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof also didn’t make the trip. He chose to stay in the Netherlands in the wake of last Thursday’s horrific attack on Israeli football fans.
It isn’t just Europe; U.S. President Joe Biden also skipped the meeting.
The annual summit hosts all the countries under the UN climate convention. They meet every year to make big global climate-related decisions.
🇩🇰
Money talks. By a narrow majority, the municipal council on the Danish island of Ærø has voted down a project that would have seen the ferries running between the Ærøskobing and Svendborg go from the current diesel vessels to electric ones. The pricetag for the project was 680 million Danish kroner (about $136 million Cdn). That was too rich for local politicians.
However, the long-term calculation needs to be weighed against future costs. The current diesel ferries will have to pay a carbon tax of some 10 million kroner each year beginning in 2030.
An electric ferry already serves on the route connecting Ærø with Als. And work is underway to replace the ferries on the route between Als and Bøjden on Fyn with electric vessels as well.
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Electric vehicles are flowing into Europe in ever increasing numbers. According to EU statistics agency EuroStat, last year, 44% of all cars imported into the EU were fully electric or hybrid models. That is up from an 8% share in 2017. Fully electric vehicles accounted for 21% of all imported cars last year.
The imported EVs are mainly flowing from three countries: China (49%), South Korea (19%), and the United Kingdom (11%).
🇪🇺🇺🇸/ 🇷🇺
Despite sanctions on Russian oil and gas and Europe’s concentrated efforts to turn its back on cheap Russian energy, LNG from Russia continues to flow into the EU. The European Union is now looking toward the United States to dramatically reduce or even outright end the flow of Russian LNG into Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:
“We still get a lot of LNG from Russia, and why not replace it with American LNG, which is cheaper for us and brings our energy prices down.”
It may also be part of Europe’s tactic to placate incoming U.S. President Donald Trump to try and head off a trade war.
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Last week, the Swedish government stopped all but one of the 14 proposed offshore wind energy farms off Sweden’s Baltic coast due to security concerns. The Swedish Armed Forces had warned that the wind turbines interfere with surveillance and detection systems, impairing their ability to detect enemy submarines underwater and an incoming missile or drone attack from the skies above.
Defense Minister Pål Jonson:
“The government believes that it would lead to unacceptable consequences for Sweden's defense to build the current projects in the Baltic Sea area. We use the Patriot air defense system, for example; there would be negative consequences if there were offshore wind power in the way of the sensors.”
While the decision has been met with a firestorm of criticism, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says the decision is final and it was made for the good of the country.
“I am quite surprised and a little horrified by some of these reactions, as if security concerns, in the direction of Russia, in the Baltic Sea would not be completely guiding Swedish government decisions.”
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695 million Danish kroner has already been spent, and so far not a single wind turbine has been set up in the huge Energiøen Bornholm project aiming to turn a chunk of the Baltic off the coast of Bornholm into a green energy powerhouse. Climate, Energy, and Supply Minister Lars Aagaard recently revealed the cost to date in responding to a query from Det Konservative Folkeparti (The Conservative People’s Party) energy spokesperson Dina Raabjerg.
A political majority has provisionally granted 17.6 billion kroner to Energiøen for the project. However, the project’s costs have increased substantially, and there are now some rumblings over its future. Should the political winds shift and Danish politicians decide the costs are just too high, they will be in an uncomfortable position of possibly terminating the project, which would mean losing all the money spent so far.
Energinet Projects Director Hanne Storm Edlefsen says the amount of money spent up until now should come as no surprise.
“The amount is as expected. It is the largest project of its kind in Denmark, so the numbers are also quite large. But it is also a project that provides value for a very long time and has a long life.”
If completed, the offshore wind farm would be a green energy hub in the Baltic, producing enough electricity to power 3.3 million households.
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Over the weekend, electricity prices in western Denmark hit the highest point so far this year. In the eastern part of the country, power prices were the second highest they have been so far in 2024. According to Energinet, consumers in parts of the country were charged as much as 7 kroner per kilowatt hour, depending on their electricity provider. The reason for the spoke is a combination of a lack of wind and cloudy days, which means less wind and solar power output. When there isn’t enough solar and wind power to draw from, then electricity has to be sourced from elsewhere, which costs more, driving prices upward.
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Inflation rose slightly in Denmark last month. Statistics Denmark says inflation was 1.6% in October, up from September’s 1.3%. The agency says increases in the price of electricity, among other things, are responsible for the increase.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
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The number of confirmed COVID infections declined slightly in the latest weekly assessment as did the number of infection related hospitalizations.
COVID activity as measured by wastewater surveillance also showed a drop.
The Statens Serum Institute says that respiratory virus infection-related pressure on the healthcare system “remains at a low level.” That said, the first few cases of the RS virus have been confirmed as the winter outbreak season looms.
On the vaccination front, 59% of those eligible for a COVID booster dose have received their fall vaccination. While 55% have had a flu shot. Among seniors in care uptake for both vaccinations is running at 74%.
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The Statens Serum Institute has declared a pneumonia epidemic in Denmark. In the first week of November, there were 2,018 confirmed infection cases. The week before it was 1,562. The institute says this is another case of a virus that all but vanished when the COVID pandemic arrived in 2020. It reappeared late last year, and now it is really flaring up.
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In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (349) have fallen (-30) while the number of severely infected people requiring intensive care (8) has crept upward (+5).
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The Swedish Health Agency is warning that vaccination uptake so far this fall are well below expectations, especially for the two groups it assesses as being at the highest COVID infection risk. The agency says vaccination uptake among those under the age of 65 who are among vulnerable populations, like those who are immunocompromised, is a paltry 5%. Similarly, vaccination rates among seniors in care who have the most contact with healthcare staff are also much too low.
Unit Manager Tina Crafoord:
“This is a group that runs an increased risk of requiring hospital care if they become infected and also has daily contact with staff in their care home. It is important that vaccination efforts reach these people and that it is possible for them to receive their vaccinations.”
Overall, 42% of those eligible, seniors, pregnant women, and high-risk populations, have received a COVID vaccine booster dose this fall. Among the Swedish regions, vaccination rates vary from 36% to 51%.
“Just over half of those aged 80 or older have been vaccinated during the autumn. In order for more people to be protected when the virus spreads the most, we urge everyone who is 65 years of age or older or who belongs to another risk group to get vaccinated against COVID and influenza.”
Sweden began its fall vaccination campaign in mid-October.
🇨🇦
Canada has recorded its first case of an H5 bird flu infection in a human. The case was confirmed in British Columbia. The infected person is a teenager in the Fraser Health region, an area stretching from Burnaby to Hope.
Chief Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry:
"This is a rare event, and while it is the first detected case of H5 in a person in B.C. or in Canada, there have been a small number of human cases in the U.S. and elsewhere, which is why we are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in B.C."
At this point, health officials do not know how the person was infected.
The H5 avian flu outbreak has swept the globe, causing concern as it has reached places and animal populations that the virus has never been before. There have also been a handful of human infections, with almost all of them people in contact with infected animal populations.
🇬🇧
The United Kingdom has recorded its first infection case of the new, more contagious mpox variant. The first case was quickly followed by three more, all from the same household. The first person infected had recently returned from a trip to Africa, which is experiencing the bulk of the infections in this latest outbreak.
🇺🇦Ukraine/Russia War🇷🇺
🇬🇧🇵🇱🇩🇪🇺🇸🇨🇦/ 🇷🇺
Russia is being accused of being behind incendiary devices that were disguised in parcels and sent through European postal and freight systems. Authorities began an investigation after several parcels suddenly caught fire over the summer on freight centres and postal warehouses in England and Germany.
Intelligence agencies in Britain and Poland say that Russia was behind the plot.
Polish Intelligence Agency Head Pawel Szota:
“I am not sure that the political leaders in Russia are aware of the consequences if one of these packages exploded and caused mass damage.”
Szota says the packages were destined for both the United States and Canada. Four people have been arrested and face charges related to sabotage and terrorism on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.
The head of Britain's MI6 intelligence service, Richard Moore, said Russian spies have gone "a little bit crazy in their behaviour.”
🇬🇧🇺🇦🇸🇪/ 🇷🇺
Russia is continuing its strategy of engaging in a war of bloody attrition in Ukraine. According to Britain’s Chief of Defense Tony Radakin, Russia lost about 1,500 soldiers every single day in the war last month. He says Russia is suffering massive losses all to secure what he called “small gains” on the front lines. Radakin says that the Russian people are paying an "extraordinarily high price.”
The strategy is wearing down Ukrainian forces as problems continue to grow to find new soldiers to replace and reinforce units facing constant pressure on the front lines. While a new mobilization is underway, tens of thousands of men who are eligible to serve and forbidden by law to leave the country are doing so anyway.
Swedish national broadcaster SVT is reporting that some 20,000 Ukrainian men have fled into Moldova to avoid going to war. The number of men who are fleeing the country is likely much higher.
🇷🇺/ 🇺🇦
Citing U.S. and Ukrainian sources, the New York Times is reporting that Russia has assembled 50,000 troops ahead of an offensive designed to take back the Kursk region seized by Ukraine almost two months ago. Among the troops are North Korean soldiers. Ukraine has been fighting hard in the Kursk region after taking it in a surprise attack. However, since the initial offensive, Russia has regained almost half the territory it lost.
🇺🇦/ 🇰🇵🇷🇺
Ukrainian troops have reportedly already had direct engagement with troops from North Korea in the Kursk region. So far, the fighting has apparently been small skirmishes with an exchange of small arms fire. That is according to Andriy Kovalenko with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to criticize his country’s allies for sitting on their hands during this latest escalation. He says there are about 11,000 troops from North Korea who are now reinforcing Russian front lines.
G7 🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺🇰🇵
Ministers from the G7 countries say that they are working on a coordinated response to North Korean troops being deployed to Russia to help fight in Ukraine. They note that North Korea’s export of weapons to Russia is also a direct violation of the UN security resolution. The question now is, What are they going to do about it?
🇺🇸/ 🇺🇦
Ukraine can expect a rough ride when Trump retakes the White House. One of his advisors, Bryan Lanza, told the BBC over the weekend that Ukraine needs to give up any hope of regaining the annexed Crimean peninsula.
“If President Zelenskyy comes and says that 'we can only have peace if we get Crimea back', then he is not serious. Crimea is lost.”
He added the Trump administration will prioritize peace over Ukraine regaining lost territory. It may also give Russia concessions by locking Ukraine out of NATO for a set period of time and establishing a demilitarized zone between the two countries. It is not clear who would police such a zone.
🇵🇱🇺🇦/ 🇺🇸
The incoming Trump presidency in the United States is causing a flurry of meetings in the EU to strategize on how to deal with an administration that will be unreliable. Over the coming weeks, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will be meeting with Nordic and Baltic leaders, the Secretary General of NATO, and the President of France. He will be talking about the war in Ukraine and transatlantic cooperation.
“There is no doubt that the new political landscape is a serious challenge for everyone, not least in light of a possible end to the Russian-Ukrainian war as a result of an agreement between, for example, the president of Russia and the U.S.”
🇪🇺🇫🇮
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has submitted a broad report on pan-European crisis preparedness. The 165-page report called ‘Safer Together, Strengthening Europe's Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness’ covers preparing for threats of war to climate change. In it, Niinistö writes that Russia poses a threat to Europe to a degree not seen since the Cold War, and at the same time, the EU must be better prepared for climate change-related emergencies.
It recommends that EU member states increase intelligence sharing and create a joint EU Crisis Centre. Niinistö, who submitted the report before the U.S. presidential election, says that the EU must signal the United States that it is prepared to pay its own way on military and civil crisis preparedness.
“Threats don't stop at our borders; they cascade between the interconnected sectors of our economy. If we are not doing all we can for our own security, we cannot expect others to do it for us."
He says the EU must acknowledge its own weaknesses and then prepare for future threats with determination. In the report, he writes that Europe’s enemies probe for weaknesses and seek to exploit political differences. The basis of preparedness is not being an easy target.
To tackle the preparedness issue, Niinistö is urging the EU to earmark a full one-fifth of its budget, or over one trillion euros over seven years, on security and crisis preparedness. He is also urging for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO.
Niinistö was tasked by the EU Commission to undertake a preparedness assessment across the EU last March.
🇷🇺🇺🇸
As you might expect, Russian President Vladimir Putin is suddenly willing to talk to the United States about what he calls the “Ukrainian crisis” and any ideas on how to end it, but only to President-elect Donald Trump. Putin made the comments in congratulating Trump on his election win. Putin also began buttering Trump up by saying how impressed he was by how he handled the assassination attempt against him. Putin called Trump “brave” and credited him for his manly behaviour.
Putin of course began the “Ukrainian crisis,”most might call it a war, by illegally invading Ukraine. He could also end it immediately by just withdrawing from Ukraine.
🇺🇸🇺🇦
The Biden administration is rushing to ship all the weapons and ammunition it has promised to Ukraine before incoming President Donald Trump retakes the White House. It is not just weapons and ammunition either. The White House has given the greenlight to allow a certain number of U.S. defense contractors to work in Ukraine to repair weapons donated by the States. The idea is that any damaged weapons or equipment can be quickly repaired or maintained close to the front lines.
🇸🇪🇺🇸/ 🇺🇦
In the aftermath of the Trump win and a sense from European leaders that the EU will no longer be able to rely on the U.S. to the extent that it has up until now, Sweden is considering another major boost to defense spending. Several Swedish political parties are lobbying for an increase in funding for defense along with sinking more money into NATO, the EU, and, of course, military aid for Ukraine.
Swedish Democrats Defense Spokesperson Lars Wistedt:
“We must plan for a worst-case scenario.”
Sweden has already increased defense spending to historically high levels. The new defense budget, increasing spending to 2.6% of GDP, is due to be passed in the coming weeks. However, the Swedish Centre Party says if the U.S. turns its back on Ukraine and the EU is left to go it more or less alone, then defense spending would need to be pushed even higher, possibly up to 4% of GDP.
🇩🇰🇺🇦
Using a combination of interest on frozen Russian funds, a €20 million donation from Sweden, and money from Denmark’s large Ukraine fund, the Danish government is financing more weapons for Ukraine. The package funds the procurement of new artillery platforms, attack drones, anti-tank weapons, naval missile systems, and missiles. This will all be done using the Danish donation model, where weapons and equipment are procured directly by Ukraine’s own defense industry.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen:
“In order to support Ukraine over the long term, it is crucial that we support the Ukrainian defense industry directly. That is why I am happy to see that the Danish model for direct procurement is working and that in close cooperation with Ukraine we are financing equipment in high demand, which can be delivered within a few months. At the same time, we are now paving the way for more countries to contribute to the Ukrainian defense industry through the Danish mechanism.”
Poulsen says he expects that the latest weapons order will be delivered to Ukrainian forces by the end of the year.
The Danish government has already begun consultations about the next financial donation, which will be targeted at procuring air defense capabilities for Ukraine.
🇸🇪🇺🇦
Sweden is donating 40,000 protective masks, two large coast guard vessels, and “additional peripheral equipment” to Ukraine.
🇩🇪🇺🇦
Germany is sending another donation to Ukraine. The ‘winter aid’ package is worth some €200 million and will be used for humanitarian aid to provide heat to homes near the front lines and to "provide Ukrainians with basic necessities such as blankets or warm winter coats to protect them from freezing temperatures.”
🇵🇱/ 🇺🇦
As the war in Ukraine drags on, tensions are rising between Ukraine and one of its closest allies. An increasingly strained President Zelenskyy has criticized the Polish government for dragging its heels on the donation and delivery of Mig-29 fighter jets.
That sparked an angry reaction from Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski who spoke to Polish Radio Zeta.
“Zelenskyy’s words are unworthy of a politician who owes Poland a lot. In such a situation, you say "thank you.”
🇩🇰
Denmark has up to 25 billion kroner (about $5 billion Cdn) to buy new air defense systems. It would make this the most expensive military procurement in Denmark’s history, pricier even than the ongoing transition to new F-35 fighter jets. The Ministry of Defense is now beginning the process to determine which system fits the country’s needs best. According to DR, ministry officials are going over a list of different air defense systems and the companies that build them. There are 12 companies across nine different countries on the list. Included are three tenders from Israel, including the Barak MX, David’s Sling, and the I-Dome air defense platforms. The South Korean M-SAM II is also on the list, as are air defense systems from Norway, Germany, France, Great Britain, France, and Italy.
The U.S. Patriot missile system is also being looked at, but there could be some drawbacks. Neighbouring Sweden uses the Patriot system, and its military recently warned that wind turbines cause problems for its ability to detect incoming drone and missile attacks. Denmark, with its massive wind energy industry, might not be a good fit for Patriot missile batteries.
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The deteriorating security situation and the sudden focus on muscling up Denmark’s armed forces are taking such a priority that for the second year in a row, the huge Danish Air Show in Aalborg set for next year has already been cancelled. The air show is usually a huge event with some 100,000 visitors.
Air Transport Wing Press Officer Major Morten Valentin Jensen:
“We are in a period where we need to firmly prioritize the Armed Forces.”
Denmark, and many of its European and Nordic neighbours, are suddenly investing huge sums of money into rearming their militaries and finding ways to get more men and women into uniform. This is due to an uncertain security situation with Russia.
🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
Out with the new, in with the old. Three airports in eastern Finland are going back to the old-style radio navigation system for aircraft landings. The radio system, which was developed in the 1960s, is being reintroduced because of the constant GPS jamming from Russia that is playing havoc with air and marine traffic in the Baltic region. Nordic military authorities believe the jamming is an effort to protect critical Russian infrastructure like naval bases and oil and gas depots from Ukrainian drone attacks.
Finland’s Transport and Communications Agency has reported that GPS interference has increased dramatically since Russia invaded Ukraine. The GPS jamming has caused flights to abort landings at airports in Finland and in the Baltic states on several occasions. The Finnish Coast Guard says marine traffic has also been impacted, with several vessels coming close to accidentally running aground.
🇰🇵🇷🇺/ 🇰🇷
North Korea has quickly adopted a tactic used by its close ally Russia and begun jamming GPS signals across the border in South Korea. The jamming is disrupting air and marine traffic just like it has for months in the Baltic region, where Russia is doing the same thing.
🇫🇮
Part of the largest NATO artillery exercise to ever take place in Europe will begin in Finland today. The exercise led by the United States is called Lightning Strike 24. It will be held in Finland, Estonia, Germany, Romania, and Poland.
In Finland, the drills will take place in Finnish Lapland and will involve some 1,250 soldiers from a number of countries.
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The war in Ukraine has been an eye-opener on the scale of drone warfare for military experts observing across Europe. The lesson isn’t being lost on Finland, with the Finnish Defense Forces Research Director Colonel Jyri Kosola telling the country’s national broadcaster, Yle, that Finland must create a drone strategy of its own. Kosola says half of all military casualties in the war in Ukraine are the result of drone warfare.
Finnish Parliamentarians are busy working on a strategy. Kosola says that there needs to be rules of engagement drawn up for drone warfare, along with prioritizing the acquisition of technologies needed to manufacture and use drones. He says a system needs to be put in place that has the ability to, in the event of a crisis or war, drastically scale up drone production very rapidly.
🇷🇺/ 🇪🇪🇺🇦
A Russian attack drone struck the apartment building where Estonia’s Ambassador to Ukraine lives. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the ambassador was not injured in the attack and used the incident to emphasize Ukraine’s need for more air defenses.
The day after the attack, Estonia dispatched another shipment of drones to Ukraine. The Baltic nations have been among Ukraine’s most ardent allies.
🇺🇸🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged an American company and its two senior executives for the illegal exportation of millions of dollars worth of restricted technology to Russia. Some of that equipment ended up flowing through Finland. The company is called Eleview International, and it is based in Kansas. The two executives facing charges have been named as Oleg Nayandin and Vitaliy Borisenko.
The Justice Department alleges that the two men sent technology that was under sanctions to Russia by creating fake customers in Finland, Turkey, and Kazakhstan but attaching Russian postal ID so the shipments could be quickly transferred to the Russian postal service on arrival.
"In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about 3.45 million US dollars (3.15 million euros) worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview's e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included 'high priority' items that the [US] Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian 'suicide' drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets."
The two men face up to 20 years in prison.
Odds & Ends
🇪🇺/🇺🇸
Since Donald Trump’s win in last week’s election, EU politicians have suddenly discovered the combination of the words “Europe,” “greater,” and “responsibility.” Political leaders from the Nordics to France and within the EU parliament have all been using variations of the same phrase, “Europe must take greater responsibility for itself.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:
“In the EU, we must stay the course and, most importantly, take responsibility into our own hands. When all 27 countries stand together, we have a lot of influence.”
This is, of course, a reflection of what European leaders have been talking about behind closed doors in the months leading up to the U.S. election. They obviously believe a deeply unpredictable President Trump cannot be relied on in the same way the EU has leaned on the United States up to this point. So they will now stick handle this new relationship of keeping up appearances of the ally of old while trying to ensure the EU can go it alone if need be.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen:
“I think there are a relatively large number of European leaders who feel that everything we need to do to make Europe stronger, we should have done in any case. With President Trump, pressure will likely come on some of those issues; one might say it can accelerate.”
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo is of the same mind, saying that he believes the U.S. election could end up being "a kind of cleansing that actually brings the European countries together."
In Europe, there is, among other things, concern that Trump will challenge the climate agenda, increase tariffs on European goods, and demand significantly higher European spending on defence. Not to mention what ever he decides to put on the table to end the war in Ukraine, which could present a host of its own problems for the EU to handle.
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The U.S. Republican Party is apparently still dreaming of making Greenland American. During the first Trump presidency, he caught everyone by surprise by saying Denmark should sell Greenland to the U.S. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea “absurd,” and Trump responded by calling her “nasty.” However, in the days after Trump secured a second term, GOP House Representative Mike Collins posted a map of the U.S. on his social media account that had Greenland coloured red like the other American states. Under the map, he posted “Project 2029.”
The U.S. covets Greenland because it would vastly increase its stake in the resource-rich Arctic. Of the nations claiming territory in the Arctic the U.S. has the smallest stake due to the state of Alaska.
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May the force be with you. A fencing school in Aalborg is replacing the traditional fencing foils with lightsabers every Friday so that young padawans can learn the ways of the Jedi. The lightsabers are made of carbon fibre tubes attached to an aluminium handle.
The school says they came up with the idea to make fencing more fun and attract some more interest, especially among younger children.
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Sweden could run out of places to bury their dead in just 10 years. Cemetery managers are lobbying for legislative changes to free up more space for the dead. Currently, Swedish law mandates that graves remain untouched forever. One way cemetery workers would like to create more space is to evict those who died a long time ago to make space for those who need to be buried in the years ahead.
They are also pushing for city planning changes, saying that cemetery space is not being factored into planning the way that housing and businesses are, for example.
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Visitors to the Italian archaeological site Pompeii will be capped at 20,000 per day as Italy looks to protect the World Heritage Site from over-tourism. A record number of tourists swamped Pompeii this past summer, with over four million people coming to see the remains of the ancient Roman city.
Pompeii Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel:
“We are working on a number of projects to ease the human pressure on the archaeological site, which can pose a risk to both visitors and the historical heritage here, which is so unique.”