Monday Morning News & Notes
Global Warning hitting Nordics the hardest. A sobering warning from Finland.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
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A staggering 465,000 tonnes of methane were released into the atmosphere following the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022, according to a new report published in Nature. This marks the single largest human-caused emission of the greenhouse gases ever recorded. For perspective, the emissions far surpass the total methane output for Denmark in 2023, which stood at 339,000 tonnes. Despite its enormity, researchers emphasize that this release represents just a fraction of human caused global methane emissions in 2022.
Methane, while less prevalent in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, is significantly more potent as a greenhouse gas, with an 80-times greater impact on global warming over a 20-year period. The study, which utilized satellite, aircraft, and ship-based measurements, offers critical insights into identifying and managing major methane leaks, a vital step toward mitigating climate impacts.
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The Nordic region is warming much faster than the rest of the world. According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland recorded its fourth warmest year on record in 2024. The average temperature last year was 3.4°C warmer than the pre-industrial era. To put that into context, prior to the industrial revolution, average annual temperatures were usually below zero.
Last year, Finland had a record cold winter followed by a record hot winter. It also set a record with the most number of heat wave days, days where temperatures were above 25°C, with 71.
FMI Meteorologist Pauli Jokinen:
"It has long been known that the higher latitudes we are, the faster the temperatures rise. Here, the changes in heat are greater than closer to the tropics. It is difficult to say how much climate change affects it from a single weather phenomenon, but we know from studies that climate change increases the likelihood of long heat waves in particular.”
Last week, it was unusually warm in Finland. Temperatures were a balmy 6°C. In central Finland, temperatures were a full 10°C above average for this time of year.
In 2021, the Finnish Climate Change Panel warned that global warming will mean an increase in heavy rainfall and flooding. Parts of the country did indeed see more rain and increased flooding last year. Last year, Finland also recorded, for the first time ever, hurricane-force winds along its west coast.
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The bill to clean up drinking water and soil contaminated by PFAS chemicals could be absolutely massive. 40 journalists across 16 countries, including in the Nordics, working with researchers at the Forever Lobbying Project, estimated clean-up costs in Europe alone could amount to €2 trillion ($2.9 trillion Cdn) over the next 20 years. The total cost could go even higher as the estimate does not factor in things like whether countries stop PFAS contamination or if it continues.
The project calls PFAS contamination “the worst pollution crisis humanity has ever faced.”
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The amount of so-called ‘forever chemicals’ is increasing in wells used to draw drinking water across Denmark. PFAS chemicals, found in things like teflon in no-stick cookware, take an incredibly long time to break down, earning their nickname. A new study from the National Geological Surveys for Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) found that over half (55.7%) of wells sunk for drinking water contain traces of pesticides and PFAS chemicals.
According to Denmark's Nature Conservation Association, this is the highest proportion that has been measured since 2018. The association calls the finding “deeply alarming and very, very worrying.” While it does add that levels are not yet at a level where people should be worried, it is a sign of a growing problem that could balloon out of control in the future if nothing is done now. Association President Maria Reumert Gjerding is calling for a total ban on the use of pesticides.
Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke concurs and says that efforts are underway to better understand the scope of the problem in order to implement solutions.
“It is a big problem that pesticide residues are found all too often in our drinking water. Too little has been done for far too many years, and therefore the problem has not been solved quickly. But, you also have to say that while we have done too little, we probably also knew too little decades ago.”
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The Danish government presented a new national preparedness plan last week. 600 million Danish kroner (about $120 million Cdn) will be allocated over the next two years to shore up the Emergency Management Agency, buy more climate protection equipment, train more emergency response personnel, and increase cyber security.
In all, the strategy has five main directives.
Train a lot more people in all aspects of emergency response, including those in uniform and those volunteering.
Investing in high-capacity pumps and other disaster response equipment.
More exercises and training focusing on everything from dealing with severe weather events, and sabotage, to cyber attacks.
Improving communications both with citizens and between municipalities, different authorities, and businesses to ensure a cohesive and organized emergency response.
A new national strategy to strengthen cyber and information security. The strategy must be tabled this year.
Critics were quick to point out the preparedness strategy did not seem to include municipalities.
Solrød's Mayor Emil Blücher:
“The municipal rescue services are responsible for by far the greatest response effort that the citizens see first-hand. It would therefore be completely natural if we also had a role to play here.”
Minister of Emergency Preparedness Torsten Schack Pedersen emphasized that the agreement includes reassessing emergency response coordination between state authorities and municipalities.
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Do Danish municipalities have enough power to deal with people who illegally damage or destroy nature? The answer is a clear no if you ask the National Association of Municipalities (KL). The association is lobbying the government to make legislative changes to empower kommunes to fine and/or mandate the person or people responsible to also foot the bill to restore any nature that they damaged or destroyed.
According to KL, municipalities across Denmark have dealt with a number of different incidents, like trees being illegally cut down, drained protected wetlands, and, in one case in Kolding, the clearing of 2,300 square meters of municipal land, which included an EU-protected bog.
Green Tripartite Minister Jeppe Bruus says he is willing to take a serious look at how to give municipalities more enforcement teeth.
“In addition to being bullshit, to be completely honest, it is also really harmful if there is someone who deliberately defaces or destroys nature while we are working to get much more nature and biodiversity across Denmark.”
Bruus is working with Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke on legislation covering nature and biodiversity.
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The evolution from gas and diesel to electric within the commercial trucking sector is “the biggest evolution since the invention of the wheel,” according to one Danish expert.
Rema 1000 Transport Manager Kenneth Veng Jespersen:
“Electric trucks have a shorter range and take time to charge, and this is a big upheaval compared to running a trucking business, but of course we must drive green in the future.”
While the Danish government has set a lofty goal of electrifying the transportation sector in order to reduce CO2 emissions, there are still plenty of challenges. Jespersen admits while the transition is happening, there is still a long way to go before electric commercial trucks see the same growth curve as electric cars.
Rema 1000, a Danish grocery store chain, has invested in 30 electric commercial trucks to deliver goods to the company’s many stores. Jespersen noted they were motivated to make the transition in part due to the per-kilometre carbon tax on truck travel.
“We have a firm goal of becoming CO2-neutral as soon as possible, by 2030 at the latest. The development within electric trucks is explosive, and if you thrive on a steep learning curve, then I don't think you need to hesitate to invest.”
He does note that key to the transition, much like EVs, is the building of charging infrastructure to support electric big rigs.
Danish Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen:
“The electric car is taking off with Danes, with 60.5% of new sales in December, which is due to our tax structure, because it must be attractive to make the green choice. My biggest task now is to support the green transformation of the transport sector.”
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Finland’s chances of reaching its ambitious climate goals are fading fast. According to a report from the Finnish Natural Resources Institute, Finland is unlikely to meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2035. That is because the institute found that Finland’s forests, once considered a major carbon sink, are instead a source of emissions. The report blames increased logging, higher emissions from peatlands, and soil that emits carbon instead of soaking it up. That has upset the climate calculations applecart.
The math breaks down like this. In order to reach the carbon-neutral goal, Finland needs to balance off emissions and carbon sequestering. According to the institute, the forestry and agriculture sectors emitted 11.8 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023. To achieve the 2035 target, the two sectors need to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 21 million tonnes. A rather significant gap with ten years to go, especially with logging increasing.
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EU gas reserve levels have dropped to 61% with colder temperatures once again looming in the weather forecast. Meanwhile, Denmark is fast approaching the halfway empty mark.
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Nuclear power is suddenly having a moment. One of the surprising byproducts of climate change and the goals of achieving massive emissions reductions while also transitioning away from fossil fuel energy is a sudden resurgence of nuclear power. That is according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency.
The agency says more than 40 countries have new nuclear power projects underway. While nuclear power has definitely had its ups and downs, the IEA is predicting that 2025 will be a banner year for nuclear energy.
IEA Director Fatih Birol:
“Nuclear power production will be historically high. The highest ever and driven by the new nuclear power plants that are being connected in, among other places, China and South Korea.”
He says existing nuclear power plants are also being upgraded and restarted in countries like France and Japan. Birol says that with the energy transition and the huge increase in things like electric vehicles and huge data centres, global electricity demand is soaring. That is making it problematic to both meet the demand and also achieve a serious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. According to the UN, the world only has five years left to nearly halve emissions if we are to keep global temperature increases close to 1.5 degrees.
One of the things driving the renewed interest in nuclear energy is small modular nuclear reactors called SMRs. These are nuclear power plants that can be as small as a shipping container that can begin churning out energy almost immediately without the prohibitive costs, building time, and complex start-up of the more traditional nuclear power plants of the past. SMRs can be mass-produced but are not available for commercial use yet.
However, while the IEA notes a global resurgence of nuclear power, it looks like Europe, once a leader in nuclear energy, is being largely left behind. While some countries, like France, still lean heavily on nuclear energy, others, like Germany, are phasing out nuclear power. China, India, Turkey, Egypt, and Russia, among others, are leading the way with new nuclear projects.
Meanwhile, Europe is going almost all in on wind and solar energy. Last year, solar and wind energy production outpaced coal and gas in the EU for the first time ever.
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Denmark must harness surplus heat from, for example, industrial companies and use it to heat homes. That is the essence of a decision from a majority of parties in the Danish parliament. In order to accomplish that, the government has removed a price cap on excess heat. The cap was put in place as a protection mechanism against district heating companies gouging customers.
Climate, Energy, and Supply Minister Lars Aagaard:
“The ceiling made sense to protect consumers, but we can now see that the framework has become too tight.”
Currently, surplus heat accounts for approximately 4% of Denmark's district heating production.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
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The winter respiratory virus season is in full swing across the European Union, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The health agency says it is seeing evidence that there is significant infection activity occurring. In particular, influenza activity is particularly widespread, with the ECDC saying that healthcare infrastructure is under significant pressure as flu cases flood in. It says flu-related hospital admission rates across Europe are, on average, at about the same level seen in the winter of 2022/23 when COVID restrictions went the way of the Dodo bird.
As for RS virus activity, the ECDC says while there are variations between countries, on average numbers have remained more or less stable in the last three weeks. Infants under the age of one remain most at risk.
Numerically, the number of COVID infections remains higher than both influenza or RSV, but overall infection activity is either treading water or gradually decreasing across most European countries.
The agency is emphasizing that the youngest and the oldest people in society remain most at risk, along with some other vulnerable populations. It says for those eligible, vaccination remains the most effective way to protect against severe infections resulting in hospitalization or death.
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Influenza infections continue to climb in Denmark. The Statens Serum Institute says infection activity is at “a high level” but flu-related hospital admissions aren’t as pressing.
So far, this winter’s RS virus infection wave isn’t packing much of a punch. Cases and hospitalizations more or less remained static but positivity percentages are dropping. The SSI says the next few weeks will paint a clearer picture of where things stand.
On the COVID front, the number of confirmed infections and coronavirus-related hospital admissions both continued to drop. Virus activity as measured by wastewater surveillance also fell.
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In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (313) declined (-14) while the number of severely infected people needing intensive care (5) also dipped slightly (-3). In the bigger picture, while infection-related admissions have hopped up and down a little week to week, they are more or less staying in the same rough neighbourhood and have done so since September without any serious change up or down.
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The Finnish Institute for Health is extending the availability of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine for pregnant women until at least the end of April. This is in direct response to a concerning increase in whooping cough cases over the last few years and the danger it poses to infants. When pregnant women are vaccinated, the protective effect passes on to newborns, giving them some defense against whooping cough infections until they can get their own vaccination when they are three months old.
Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek:
"The vaccine is safe for expecting mothers to take during pregnancy. It protects the baby well into the first months of life, when the newborn is at the highest risk of severe whooping cough. In Finland, about half of pregnant women have already taken the pertussis vaccine.”
The institute recommends expecting mothers get vaccinated or get a booster dose during weeks 16 to 32 of their pregnancy. As is the case elsewhere in the Nordics, the vaccine is offered for free.
The agency says, like other countries, Finland is seeing a dramatic increase in whooping cough infections. Last year, there were 2,748 confirmed cases compared to the 200 to 500 whooping cough infections seen in an average year prior to the COVID pandemic.
Baltic Sea Security
🇫🇮🇪🇪 NATO
NATO is increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea after some high-profile incidents where critical undersea infrastructure was damaged. Two NATO warships arrived in Finnish waters last week. That is where the most recent incident took place when an oil tanker in Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ damaged the EstLink 2 submarine power cable running between Finland and Estonia.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda:
"Three violations in the Baltic Sea during the last 13 months show that this is not an accident and there is a very high probability that this is a deliberate action from hostile countries.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke to reporters at a press conference at a special summit on Baltic Sea security in Helsinki last week.
“During the last two months alone, we have seen damage to a cable connecting Lithuania and Sweden, another connecting Germany and Finland, and most recently a number of cables connecting Estonia and Finland. We have today agreed to initiate an initiative to implement new technologies in this effort, including a smaller fleet of drones to strengthen surveillance and deterrence.”
Rutte also emphasized that vessel operators should understand there will be consequences for damage to undersea infrastructure.
NATO’s Baltic Sea monitoring mission will secure critical infrastructure using patrol ships, planes, and drones. The alliance's Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Underwater Infrastructure will also assist NATO command and allies in "making decisions and coordinating action relating to critical undersea infrastructure protection and response.”
The leaders of the eight Baltic Sea nations attending the summit signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding on protecting critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The heads of state also agreed to bring together a group of legal experts, who will be tasked with finding ways to deal with Russia's hybrid warfare tactics in the Baltic Sea in accordance with international maritime laws.
NATO
NATO is also sponsoring a gathering of a wide-ranging number of experts from across industry, academia, and various authorities to focus on protecting critical undersea infrastructure. The so-called HEIST project has the goal of pooling expertise and creating a critical flow of information in the event of another undersea cable being sabotaged. The project is being run out of Blekinge University of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden.
The University’s Henric Johnson:
“We have gathered internationally leading expertise to protect and monitor cables at sea. The goal is to arrive at solutions quickly. We need solutions here and now.”
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Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen blasted a Danish shipyard during the recent NATO summit on Baltic security. The Fayard shipyard in Odense drew the prime minister’s ire because it services ships in Russia’s ‘shadow fleet.’
“Completely incomprehensible. I cannot understand that there is a Danish shipyard that contributes to Russia's war in Europe. They simply have to stop that.”
But the problem is that while the shipyard on the hot seat perhaps could be making more ethical choices, it isn’t actually breaking any laws as long as it services shadow fleet tankers not directly under any sanctions. Back in September, Odense Mayor Peter Rahbæk Juel sent the transport minister a letter advising him of the issue and asked that rules be tightened so the shipyard had a legal option to turn the ships away.
Baltic Sea countries attending the NATO summit agreed to ramp up the pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers by expanding sanctions and increasing monitoring of all of the ships plying the Baltic.
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If the Danish Maritime Pilots’ union has any say in the matter the aging oil tankers making up Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ will undergo mandatory safety inspections when in Danish waters. The union also wants the crew of the freighters to be screened for their qualifications. Danish pilots have a unique insight into the shadow fleet ships and their crews as, in many cases, they have to come aboard the vessels and help pilot them through the Kattegat Strait. Danish law requires a pilot onboard every fully loaded oil tanker transiting through the strait between the North and Baltic seas.
Union Chair Lars Sigvart told DR that his pilots are seeing more and more dilapidated tankers crewed by people with questionable qualifications.
“In general, the standard is not increasing. We see a decreasing standard. That increases the risk of accidents resulting in catastrophic oil spills in Danish waters.”
Sigvart says on any given day, 30 or 40 of these tankers are sheltered off Skagen, Denmark’s most northern point, where the Kattegat empties into the North Sea.
“They typically lie by Skagen when the wind is in the west to seek shelter. But if you get strong winds from the opposite side, the ships can easily start drifting, and things can go wrong.”
The union will pitch its strategy to police Russia’s shadow fleet tankers when they meet with Minister of Emergency Preparedness Torsten Schack Pedersen in March.
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
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“We may already be at war”
The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, has issued a stark warning that the world may already be in the throes of another World War even if it is not yet widely recognized as such. In an interview with Finnish media outlet Turun Sanomat, Halla-aho urged for caution and preparation, stating, "If we don't know whether we're at war, it's always best to assume that we are." He drew comparisons to the onset of World War II, which was perceived differently by its contemporaries than by historians today. Highlighting the dangers of ignoring the signs, he argued that preparation is essential to reducing the likelihood of broader conflict.
Halla-aho’s remarks echoed recent comments by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who described Sweden’s current state as being "not at war, but not at peace either," amid growing hybrid and proxy warfare threats. For Halla-aho, the conflict in Ukraine is a pivotal element of the global security landscape. He called for Finland to prioritize its support for Ukraine more prominently in national politics, asserting that Russia’s defeat in the war is far more critical than a Ukrainian victory. A Russian triumph, he warned, would embolden other "rogue states," signalling that imperialist aggression could pay off in the face of Western fatigue and limited resources.
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Denmark’s defense minister is debunking a story being pushed by Russia that claims a Danish F-16 instructor was killed in Ukraine.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen says this is absolutely false.
"No Danish soldiers have been killed in Ukraine. It is a false story that is being circulated in Russian media, probably to discredit Denmark. I take this very seriously. But unfortunately, it is part of a reality with a very serious security situation, where false influence campaigns and misinformation are being used on a large scale.”
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Nearly two years after Denmark purchased the defunct Krudten ammunition factory in Northern Jutland, the facility remains idle, a delay that has drawn sharp criticism amidst escalating global security concerns. Initially slated to reopen and bolster both domestic defense readiness and support for Ukraine, plans for ammunition production have once again been pushed back. Jacob Kaarsbo, a security policy advisor and former chief analyst in Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service, has voiced frustration over the delays: “It feels like we’re just shuffling papers.” Kaarsbo warns that the delays could leave Denmark unprepared in a worsening security climate.
In March of last year, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen had provided assurances that agreements with private companies would be finalized within the year, but fresh delays have surfaced due to what the Ministry of Defense describes as “important new input” from stakeholders. While the ministry insists that these refinements are necessary, Kaarsbo argues that time is a luxury Denmark no longer has. “We need to act with urgency. Putin and Russia won’t wait while we sort out the details.” He is calling for an expedited tender process. Critics fear that the delays could jeopardize Denmark’s ability to meet both its domestic defense obligations and its commitments to Ukraine.
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Three brand-new F-35 fighter jets arrived in Denmark last week. That makes 11 of the cutting-edge warplanes that are now on Danish soil. Six other F-35s are also in Danish hands but remain at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona for training purposes. Denmark has an order for 27 of the fighter jets, so ten more have yet to be delivered.
The Ministry of Defense says the F-35s will gradually begin taking over missions, including interception of foreign aircraft in Danish/NATO airspace, that are currently being done by the country’s fleet of aging F-16s.
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Last Thursday, two Norwegian F-35s stationed in Poland were scrambled in response to what NATO Air Command called “a massive number of airborne Russian aircraft.”
“This is the first time that Norwegian fightrr jets have scrambled in active air defence of Polish Airspace, demonstrating Allied commitment to NATO's eastern flank.”
🇩🇰/ 🇳🇴 🇺🇦
The Norwegian Prime Minister is responding after an editorial in a Danish newspaper called out Norway for donations to Ukraine, the lowest among the Nordics, while at the same time reaping massive profits from selling energy to Europe. As a percentage of its GDP, Denmark donates the most in military support to Ukraine, followed by Sweden, then Finland, and finally Norway. That is according to calculations from the Kiel Institute.
Politiken's editor-in-chief, Christian Jensen, wrote the editorial titled “Dear Norway, how can you look yourself in the eyes?”
“The country, which is already covered in gold from its sovereign national oil fund worth a staggering almost $2 trillion (USD), it has profited monstrously from the war in Ukraine. How? Because gas prices in Europe have exploded.”
As Europe works to end its reliance on cheap Russian oil and gas over its invasion of Ukraine, the EU has turned to Norway to supply its energy needs.
The editorial received a lot of media attention in Norway, where Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre fired back in an interview on TV2 Norge.
“Europe does not have a better friend than Norway, because we are able to supply gas to Europe. Norway could have managed its resources in a different way and perhaps even more favourably for Norway, but we chose to prioritize increasing gas production.”
While in pure dollar amounts, Denmark has donated twice as much in military donations to Ukraine, the Prime Minister also defended Norway’s approach.
“We support Ukraine on the defensive side; we support them in rebuilding civilian infrastructure. And the Nordic and Baltic countries are the biggest contributors to Ukraine after the USA. So we are well positioned there.”
According to Støre, Norway will spend around €3 billion (or just over $4 billion Cdn) on Ukraine this year.
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Another sign of Europe preparing for the worst. The Finnish government is preparing legislation that, if passed, would see the age limit for military reservists increased to 65. Currently, enlisted personnel are discharged when they reach 50, while officers can remain in the reserves until 60. The Ministry of Defense says the change is designed to ensure that key reservists remain available for service in important national defense roles.
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The Finnish Armed Forces are making changes to modernize national defense tactics as they draw lessons from the war in Ukraine. Specifically, changes are being made to increase sniper training, both in actual numbers and in distance.
Colonel Juhana Skyttä spoke to Yle:
“Effective sniper operations require training at long distances. While training can begin at shorter ranges, between 150 and 300 meters, a 600-meter range is necessary for efficient and impactful performance.”
The Finnish military is building new 600-meter rifle ranges to facilitate the new training. It isn’t just distance; sniper instructors will also introduce “dynamic shooting” scenarios drawing on experiences from the battlefield in Ukraine.
On a side note, the number of rounds being used on military shooting ranges has increased dramatically since Russia invaded Ukraine. Some half a million rounds have been expended in the last few years, roughly a 30% increase over previous years. This is a reflection of a Finnish military that is putting a renewed focus on national defense.
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The Finnish Armed Forces are being responsible about all the increased activity on their shooting ranges by trying to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. 25 million euro have been invested to make sure shooting ranges have groundwater protection and strict noise control.
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Swedish soldiers and equipment arrived in Latvia over the weekend in Sweden’s first ever deployment as a NATO member nation. It is also the first time ever Swedish soldiers have set foot on Latvian soil in an official military capacity. The troops will be stationed in a NATO base to take part in defensive missions along Latvia’s border with Russia. They will serve under Canadian command in a NATO multinational brigade.
Latvia’s Minister of Defense Andris Spruds called the arrival of Swedish troops a historic moment.
Swedish troops are sharing a base with Denmark with the two countries relieving each other’s forces for a new rotation of troops and equipment every six months.
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With national elections looming, some pretty hefty cracks have begun to emerge in Germany’s coalition government. At the centre of the furor is military aid to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on one side as he appears to be blocking efforts to increase military support to Ukraine. On the other side is Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock, who supports supplying Ukraine with €3 billion in arms supplies before the federal election.
Former Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is wading into the dispute with some blunt criticism of the chancellor.
"The Chancellor's positions on the subject of the Ukraine war are sometimes difficult. Scholz is just giving Putin some breathing room. This sends the wrong signal not only to Ukraine and to Putin but also to Donald Trump. I have always valued the cooperation with Germany. Together with Annalena Baerbock and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, we have made progress on the subject of security policy.”
He added that on the other hand, Chancellor Scholz has taken a different, and more problematic, course of action.
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Russia has again violated Romanian airspace in its attacks on Ukraine. Last Thursday night, Romania’s Defense Ministry said that a Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace en route to Ukraine near the town of Tulcea. Two Romanian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept.
🇩🇪🇵🇱🇨🇿🇸🇪
Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic have by far the most Ukrainian refugees in the EU. According to EuroStat, as of last November, 1.1 million Ukrainians were sheltering from the war in Germany, 987,000 in Poland, and 385,000 in the Czech Republic. According to statistics, Sweden has received 46,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection status. Of the 27 EU countries, only nine have received fewer.
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Australia is threatening the “strongest possible action” if Russia has harmed an Australian citizen who has been taken as a prisoner of war in Ukraine. 32-year-old Oscar Jenkins voluntarily joined Ukraine’s military last year. In a video posted to social media, he can be seen in uniform with his hands tied, being beaten by a Russian interrogator. According to information that Australia is trying to confirm, he may have been killed. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is threatening an immediate and severe response if he has indeed been harmed. Australia is one of the largest military contributors to Ukraine.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer travelled to Ukraine last week to sign a symbolic 100-year agreement between the two nations. The agreement will formalize economic and military support already promised to the Ukrainians and allow for even more.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
“It's not just about the here and now; it's also about an investment in our two countries in the next century.”
Odds & Ends
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The Danish housing market was busy last year. In 2024, 52,502 homes were sold, according to Boligsiden. That is an 11% year-over-year increase in sales. Apartment sales were also buzzing, up 6%. Summer homes were in high demand as well, with 9,298 being sold, a 13% increase from 2023.
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Cormorant populations have fallen by 20% in Denmark in the last two decades, according to a report from the National Centre for Environment and Energy at Aarhus University. The decline is partially engineered, as efforts have been underway to reduce the population of birds in order to increase fish stocks because cormorants eat so much fish. Part of the decline is also natural with an increase in the number of predatory birds.
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Denmark’s military is turning its attention more and more to space. A military satellite named Bifrost, after the rainbow bridge in Norse mythology connecting Earth to Asgard, the realm of the gods, is being built at a special satellite facility in Aalborg. The satellite has been procured by the Defense Materiel and Procurement Agency with the goal of having it monitor the waters around Greenland.
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It will make one hell of an Airbnb, if you can get there. Last Wednesday, a rocket launched from Florida, and among its cargo was a little red Swedish cottage, which will be placed on the surface of the moon. The idea is the brainchild of Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, who has long had a dream of placing a ubiquitous red Swedish summer cottage on the moon.
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This is a weird one. Nine beaches in Australia were closed last week after what were described as “mysterious ball-shaped” debris washed ashore. The small marble-sized balls have been sent for testing, and the beaches have been closed for clean-up as a precaution.