Monday Morning News & Notes
Denmark’s flood woes. Europe’s hot summer. More F-16s for Ukraine.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇸🇪
Here comes Old Man Winter. The Swedish Meteorological Institute issued a yellow warning on Saturday as a snowstorm arrived in the country’s north. Between 10 and 15 centimetres hit the ground.
🇪🇺
Europe recorded its hottest summer on record this year.
According to the EU Climate Change Service, Copernicus, southeastern Europe, was hit the hardest with a significant increase in searing summer heat, with two-thirds of the summer days experiencing “strong heat stress” temperatures of 30°C or higher. Overall, Europe saw record high surface air temperatures, recorded at 1.54°C above the 1991-2020 average.
“At 66 days, this is the highest number of ‘strong heat stress’ days on record, by a large margin.”
While southern Europe baked, the Nordics and the Baltics saw up to 20 more wet summer days than an average summer. The north-south divide was also reflected in river levels, with waterways in southeastern Europe being exceptionally low while central and northern Europe saw exceptionally high river flows.
Sea temperatures in the Mediterranean also reached record highs in August, peaking at 28.45°C, breaking heat records set just last year.
🇩🇰
Flood damages in Esbjerg from the recent massive downpour are extensive, including roads, sidewalks, and bicycle paths that were simply washed away. The municipality says some of those will take months to repair.
Head of Construction Dennis Skøtt Hansen spoke to DR to say that people are going to have to be patient.
“It can take up to six months in relation to being able to give a final figure on what overall repair costs are before any actual work can get underway. It will be terribly difficult to address any of the serious damages in the coming months.”
The municipality is also warning people to keep an eye on large trees in the flood zone. The concern is that the floodwaters may have compromised the ground underneath them, increasing the risk of the trees suddenly falling.
-
The municipality of Esbjerg is opening up an online platform for citizens, business owners, and other organizations to convey information and be involved in conversations about how they were impacted by recent flooding. The portal will collect information on flooding impacts, damages, and even ideas, which can be used for future climate adaptation initiatives.
Planning & Urban Development Committee Henning Ravn:
“In Esbjerg Municipality, we face flooding challenges from the sea, rain, and groundwater, which means that we must be prepared for how best to adapt over time. It requires input from citizens and businesses, and that is exactly why we have launched the new platform.“
Just over a week ago, an entire month’s worth of rain fell in a matter of hours causing massive flooding.
-
The flooding in Vejle just over a week ago hit even people living in apartments above the flood waters. The downpour quickly overran the city’s drainage systems, forcing wastewater up the piping and flooding apartments above with stinky sewage. For some in the city center, it was the second time in seven months streets and businesses were flooded while wastewater poured out of toilets in apartments high above the street.
Vejle Mayor Jens Ejner Christensen says flood mitigation and climate adaptation are the municipality’s jobs, but the sheer scope of the work and finding the money to fund it is a huge challenge. Christensen would like the Danish government to take more responsibility in helping out. He would also like to see wastewater companies get the help they need to invest in flood mitigation measures to climate-proof the system so sewage isn’t swamping homes during severe floods.
“We are in a situation where we have to choose between building a daycare center or making some necessary climate adaptations.”
Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke says that while his government needs to do more to help out, municipalities and even individual home and business owners must also help foot the bill for climate adaptation initiatives.
-
According to the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), the groundwater levels across Denmark are approximately 28 centimetres above normal.
Just under half a million homes across Denmark are now less than one meter above the groundwater table, which puts them at high risk of flooding. Usually, groundwater levels across Denmark peak in the wet winter months and then recede over the summer. That has not been the case over the past year.
GEUS Senior Researcher Jacob Kidmose says it is a bad situation to be in with what will likely be another wet winter inching ever closer.
“When we have a higher groundwater level, it increases the chances of severe flooding like we saw last autumn. I don't think the problem will go away. If you suffered flooding last winter, chances are you will also deal with flooding again in the future. If we do nothing, we must expect the same thing to happen over and over again.”
Kidmose says that one option would be to enable wastewater utilities to be a lot more proactive about making climate adaptations.
High groundwater levels significantly lower the threshold for flooding events. They can also impact water levels in streams, rivers, and lakes.
-
It isn’t just the cost of insurance and costly repairs after repeated flood events, concerns are being raised about businesses fleeing for higher ground or leaving some cities and towns altogether. In Faaborg, on the island of Fyn, one business owner is refusing to pull up stakes. Faaborg Rogeri Cafe sits in the town’s harbour, spitting distance from the ocean waters. Owner Line Klivager gets nervous every time the water levels rise, but she was one of the few who chose to take action on her own. Last October, when a historic storm surge caused flood waters to leave a swath of the historic town under water, the Rogeri was a literal island unto itself thanks to flood barriers Klivager invested in.
“We got ourselves ready, so we were prepared. We packed tables, bench sets, and parasols away for safety and had our newly purchased high water protection barriers set up. We can't just move up to Svanninge Bakker, where it would be safe. It must be located here in the port. It is the heart and soul of the cafe. It has been here for many, many years.”
But Dansk Erhverv says the Rogeri is increasingly a rarity as it grows concerned about the consequences for towns and cities that don’t take flood mitigation and climate adaptation action.
Deputy Director Marc Perera Christensen:
“In the case of many municipalities, this will mean that businesses will move away from the city centers, which typically lie on the coast or along fjords. And in the worst-case scenario, it will add even more pressure on town and city centers already struggling with a growing number of vacancies.”
-
Over on Sjælland, the town of Præstø is taking flood prevention efforts into their own hands. After last October’s devastating floods left homes and businesses dealing with lots of water damage, a group of homeowners, local companies, and other citizens began raising money for a mobile flood barrier. A year later, they have enough money to buy the final section of the flood barrier to safeguard the town against future storm surges.
-
Climate change-related damages from severe weather events are causing an unprecedented increase in insurance claims. Just over a week ago, a whole month worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, causing huge flooding events in cities like Vejle and Esbjerg. The flood waters have resulted in another deluge of insurance claims to address flooded homes and businesses.
Danish insurance agency Brancheforsikringen Forsikring og Pension says these kinds of severe weather-related claims are growing exponentially.
Managing Director Kent Damsgaard:
“Last year alone, we spent approximately three billion kroner on climate-related damages. It is a new kind of damage that is coming as a result of climate change, and the number of claims is just getting bigger and bigger.”
Damsgaard says a concerning cycle is well underway.
“When the same home owner repeatedly experiences these damages, it becomes more expensive to take out insurance.”
Insurance companies and other stakeholders are also stuck waiting for the Danish government to amend legislation to help with flood mitigation and climate adaptation strategies. The law was supposed to be amended this year, but it has now been pushed to 2025.
Damsgaard says the delay will result in a very real-world cost to homeowners and businesses who could suffer more severe weather-related damages while the government drags its feet.
“It is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes we have made as a society. We think that this climate change thing is in 2050, but it is happening now. We have started far too late to climate-proof our homes and our infrastructure.”
Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke spoke to DR:
“Denmark has been extremely good as a pioneering country when it comes to countering global warming and climate change. But we have probably started too late when it comes to counteracting the consequences of climate change with wetter weather, more violent weather, more storm surges, and rising water levels. And we have to get better at all of that.”
🇧🇦
Torrential rains have triggered flooding and landslides in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have claimed 16 lives and left others injured. The country has deployed the military to help with the rescue effort as the country suffers the worst flooding in about a decade.
🇸🇪
Global warming could wipe out almost all of Sweden’s glaciers. A study by the University of Stockholm has found that glaciers in the Nordic nation are melting at a significantly faster rate this year than in any year prior. The study says that this year’s melt at Kebnekaise's Great Glacier is five times higher than the average for the past decade. The glacier lost 8,500 tonnes of ice in 2024 alone.
Glaciology Professor Nina Kirchner is warning that Sweden will lose the vast majority of its 250 or so glaciers if global warming continues.
“It is a record melt year. The situation is critical.”
Kirchner warns that the glacier melt could impact sea and lake levels as well as increase the likelihood and severity of landslides, avalanches, and rock slides.
🇩🇰
Climate change is helping to exacerbate the depletion of oxygen in Denmark’s inland waterways. Oxygen levels in the Kattegat, Øresund, and the Baltic Sea hit record lows last year, wiping out invertebrates and chasing fish away. Recent data shows the problem has actually become a lot worse this year, resulting in a marine dead zone that is now roughly the combined size of the Danish islands of Fyn and Sjælland.
While years of agricultural fertilizers washing into waterways have been a major part of the problem, global warming is causing more algae and bacteria to grow as the water heats up, which in turn uses more oxygen. The Danish Meteorological Institute says the temperature in Denmark has risen by 1.5°C since the 1870s and it continues to rise.
As well, climate change-caused flooding events mean an increase in sewage, washing even more oxygen-consuming nutrients into inland waterways.
On the positive side, the hard work continues to find solutions. The first fast-track wetlands restoration project was officially completed near Assens on the island of Fyn over the weekend. Three hectares of formerly agricultural land was converted into a wetland, which will help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers that usually are discharged into the waters of the Little Belt. Municipalities across the country are working on similar fast-track projects.
In the Danish parliament, fierce negotiations are underway to table a strategy to tackle the crisis.
-
Oxygen depletion in the Limfjord is so severe the municipality says immediate action is required to tackle the problem. A new report from the National Center for the Environment and Energy has found that oxygen levels in Denmark’s inland waterways are the worst they have been in decades.
Limfjord Council Chair Henrik Dahlgaard:
“Before the end of 2025, we must have a plan ready for the Limfjord. We then have two to four years to implement it. It is no longer certain that we can operate intensive agriculture any longer in all the places where we are doing it today.”
-
The lack of oxygen crisis in the waters of the Kattegat and Baltic Sea is being reflected in fish that feed on the invertebrates that have been all but wiped out. DTU Aqua has been studying the problem and monitoring impacted marine environments. The agency says plaice, a type of bottom-feeding flatfish, are usually well-fed and robust fish.
Section Leader Marie Storr-Paulsen says the most recent marine surveys show that is no longer the case.
“The flatfish are often paper thin. The catastrophic loss of oxygen has suffocated the fish's food on the sea bottom. This could lead to the same decline in the population of flatfish that we have already seen with cod.”
DTU Aqua marine surveys are finding more and more dead zones, huge areas of the Baltic and Kattegat with virtually no oxygen in the water.
-
Aalborg University has partnered with Aalborg Portland, a cement-making company, for a cold water pipeline that will help slash CO2 emissions. An almost four-kilometre-long pipeline runs between a cement factory and the university, pumping ice-cold water from the cement plant to the school. The university uses the remote cooling system to cool classrooms, computer servers, and other machinery. The system uses 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than ordinary cooling systems. It also saves on electricity usage.
🇬🇧
The United Kingdom is pledging nearly £22 billion (about $31.9 billion Cdn) to create a carbon capture and storage industry from scratch. The UK has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, and the ability to capture and store carbon is an essential part of the British strategy to reach its net zero goals. The money will help find CCS projects and also help to generate private investment in this new industry that the government hopes will create a new era of good jobs.
🇮🇹
Italy has had enough of environmental protestors. Harsh new laws could mean up to two years in prison for climate activists who block roads or who get violent with police officers. The legislation even cracks down on activists who engage in hunger strikes as a protest, earning the legislation the nickname the “anti-Ghandi Act.” The new laws have passed a vote in one part of Italy’s legislative assembly.
🇸🇪
A Swedish researcher has found that one of the main ways microplastics find their way into the environment is via sewage, especially during huge downpours when flood waters inundate a city’s drainage and wastewater systems.
Linköping University Industrial Environmental Technology Researcher Emma Fältström is trying to better understand the impacts microplastics have on the environment and human beings.
“I found lots of microplastics in above all stormwater, which is seen as one of the biggest ways of its spread, but of different types than I expected. It may indicate that we have to work harder to determine where it is coming from.”
A recent study found that microplastics gather in the human brain. The European Union has identified microplastics as an environmental concern and has set a goal of reducing microplastic emissions by 30% by 2030.
Fältström supports EU efforts but adds that a lot more research is needed to better understand microplastics and their impact.
🇪🇺
The European Commission is bending to the pressure and is now proposing to postpone a new law aimed at reducing global deforestation. The law would prohibit the sales of things like palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and soy beans within the EU if they come from countries where deforestation is taking place. The legislation sparked a global outcry led by Malaysia and Indonesia, which are major producers of palm oil.
Critics in the EU and outside of it are complaining that the text of the law is too vague and confusing. In a release, the European Commission says it understands the criticism but also fully supports the substance and objectives of the legislation.
The European Parliament and member states will now decide whether to bring the law into force on schedule or postpone it.
-
Plant-based foods can still be marketed in Europe using names like burger, steak, and other names we traditionally associate with meat products. The European Court of Justice ruled that countries in the EU are free to introduce legal mandates for naming plant-based foods, but if there is no clear national directive, then companies are free to use meat-related words. The one caveat is that the product must clearly be labelled as plant-based so as not to mislead consumers. The c court had to rule after France issued a blanket ban on meat-free products using wording like “vegetarian burgers” or “vegetarian sausages.”
🇪🇺/ 🇨🇳
The European Union has voted to impose punishing tariffs on electric vehicles coming into Europe from China. The tariffs, which could be as high as 35%, are an effort to try and level a badly tilted playing field where highly subsidized (illegally subsidized in the EU’s eyes) Chinese EV makers flood Europe with cheap electric cars. The EU is still stinging after China swamped Europe with cheap solar energy products, outcompeting European companies at every turn. Europe’s wind energy industry is also in a similar boat.
10 countries, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Denmark, voted for the tariffs. Five, including Germany and the Czech Republic, voted against. While 12 countries, including Finland and Sweden, abstained.
The tariffs will increase trade tensions with China. And that is exactly what the big German automakers are worried about. A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz said in response to the tariffs, “We are convinced that punitive tariffs will only impair the competitiveness of the industry in the long term.” A similar sentiment was echoed by Volkswagen and BMW. The reason why the big three carmakers are opposed is that they are heavily reliant on car exports to China. Three out of every four cars made in Germany are exported to international markets and, of those, China is by far the largest market.
-
The tariffs might increase EV prices in Europe if China and the EU don’t reach a negotiated settlement beforehand. The duties will vary depending on the carmaker; for example, Tesla negotiated a tariff of 7.8% with its popular Model 3, of which many are sold in Europe, being made in China.
Danske Bank European Economy Analyst Rune Thyge Johansen says the impact of tariffs on the sticker prices of EVs sold in Europe will depend on some variables.
“Quite a lot of the Chinese electric car manufacturers have such a large profit from selling electric cars in Europe that they will probably be able to eat some of the extra duty via their profits and thus not pass the prices on to consumers. However, the situation is different with the producers, who will have to pay the highest customs duty.”
Danske Bank has calculated that the absolute highest tariffs could mean that for an EV costing 250,000 Danish kroner (about $50,000 Cdn), the trade battle could increase the price by 20,000 kroner (about $4,000 Cdn).
Johansen says the situation is still fluid, so at the moment it is a fools game to try and predict what will happen. He advises consumers to do their homework, ask lots of questions, and make sure if the EV they have bought is to be delivered at some future date if the tariffs will mean additional costs later.
🇩🇰
Denmark’s Ministry of Environment has tweaked the rules on environmental zones prohibiting old polluting diesel vehicles from driving in the centers of the country’s biggest cities. The ministry has created an exemption allowing for old diesel vehicles to drive within the restricted zone for emergency purposes, like rushing to the hospital for a medical emergency.
The exclusion zones are monitored by cameras, with offending drivers in restricted vehicles being fined 1,500 Danish kroner for violations.
-
Since the environmental zones were set up one year ago, 19,443 fines have been doled out to restricted vehicles violating the exclusion zones in Denmark’s four largest cities. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency says the result is some 31 million Danish kroner (about $6.1 million Cdn) in fines flowing into the state treasury.
🦠Outbreaks🦠
🇪🇺
COVID activity across Europe generally remains low, albeit with exceptions among some EU countries. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says Slovenia, Lithuania, and Denmark are reporting increasing infection activity.
In general, the positivity percentage at the EU level is 16%, half of what it was ten weeks ago. However, just 11 countries reported on the percentage of positive test results. Four countries (Germany, Greece, Malta, and Spain) reported on the positivity percentage of patients being admitted to hospitals with an overall rate of 15%. The agency says seniors over 65 remain the most vulnerable population, with a positivity percentage of 22%.
As for COVID-related hospital admissions, just two countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, reported a rising number of infected patients.
Seven countries, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, are all reporting a rising number of coronavirus deaths over the past few weeks.
On the variant front, the ECDC says the KP.3 strain is dominant in Europe. The new recombinant variant XEC, a combination of two BA.2.86 sub-variants, KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, is making its presence felt in Europe, making up an estimated 8% of new infections.
🇩🇰
A Danish study has again disproven the myth that COVID infections are no worse than influenza. A population level study by Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute found that over the last two years, COVID has been responsible for twice as many hospitalizations and deaths as influenza.
Researchers found that COVID hospitalizations and fatalities remain steady all year around and continue to be higher even during the winter months when influenza is in full swing. Between May of 2022 and June of this year, there have been 24,687 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, compared to 8,682 for influenza. The study took into account things like differences in age, gender, underlying illnesses, and if people were vaccinated against COVID or influenza.
While coronavirus infections hospitalized more people than influenza, the overall number of COVID admissions in Denmark, all of its Nordic neighbours, and in the United States was quite a bit lower than the first two years of the pandemic.
Department for Epidemiological Research Senior Researcher Peter Bager noted that the study didn’t just knock down the myth that COVID is no worse than influenza; it also provided more evidence that COVID vaccines are highly effective.
"A straightforward explanation for the drop in admissions despite the high level of infection is that people at risk of severe COVID infections are vaccinated through the annual coronavirus vaccination programme. In addition, there is generally better protection across the population than what we saw at the start of the pandemic, as the majority of people have either been vaccinated or suffered a COVID infection. The study supports the importance of the fall vaccination program as COVID, compared to influenza, still represents a significant healthcare burden both in terms of hospitalizations and deaths. The study results can also contribute to the planning of the health service's coronavirus strategy."
The study is a preprint and has yet to be peer reviewed. You can find it HERE.
-
Made in Denmark, mpox vaccine doses are being put to use in the Democratic Republic of Congo to try and corral an outbreak fueled by a new variant of the virus. A shipment of 265,000 mpox vaccine doses from Denmark’s Bavarian Nordic has arrived in the country and is already being used to inoculate people. More shipments of the vaccine are on the way.
🇸🇪
In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (323) have begun to dip (-15), while the number of severely infected people needing intensive care (10) has also declined slightly (-3).
-
The Swedish Public Health Agency is recommending that chickenpox vaccinations be included in the childhood vaccination program. For some reason, the chickenpox vaccine is not included in vaccinations for children in both Sweden and Denmark. The health agency has consulted with stakeholders and sent its recommendation to the government, where a final decision will have to be made.
Vaccination Program Head Tina Crafoord:
“Since so many people in Sweden are infected with chickenpox, this proposal will have a big impact. Reducing the burden of disease in society is cost-effective but also provides important protection to those who cannot vaccinate themselves, for example, due to a weakened immune system.”
Should the government give its approval, the vaccine will be offered to those 18 and younger free of charge.
🇳🇴
COVID is among a handful of respiratory viruses that continue to infect people across Norway. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health says coronavirus numbers seem to be indicating an ebbing infection wave. The positivity percentage has dropped to 7.5%, down almost 3% over the last four weeks.
COVID claimed 23 more lives across Norway in the latest weekly report.
The NIPH says the KP.3 variant remains dominant across the country.
A whooping cough epidemic continues in Norway, with 1,307 confirmed cases last month, up from the 1,035 infections in August.
The fall influenza and COVID vaccination campaign is underway in Norway.
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
🇺🇦/🇷🇺🇰🇵
Russia is increasingly reliant on North Korea for artillery ammunition, according to a new report from the British newspaper The Times. Citing sources, the newspaper is reporting that North Korean artillery shells now make up more than half of all shells fired by Russia in the war in Ukraine. Last month, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said that out of all of Russia’s allies, North Korea is the biggest headache due to the sheer volume of artillery shells it is supplying to Russian forces.
🇳🇱 🇺🇦
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirmed on Sunday that the first batch of F-16s the Netherlands has donated to Ukraine has now arrived in the country. Brekelmans did not specify how many of the fighter jets were in this first delivery. The Netherlands has pledged to give Ukraine 24 of the warplanes.
"There is an urgent need. In Kharkiv, I saw the damage from a Russian attack and heard constant air strikes. The rest of the 24 fighter jets will arrive in the coming months.”
The Netherlands have previously said the F-16s it is donating can be used anyway Ukraine thinks best, including to hit targets within Russia.
A number of European countries, including Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands, have collectively promised to donate 85 F-16s to Ukraine. The first jets, F-16s from Denmark, arrived in Ukraine in August.
-
The Netherlands has announced it will lead a “drone action plan” funded by a donation of about €400 million. The initiative will see the Netherlands and Ukraine work together to develop advanced drones and accelerate the production of successful prototypes. The work will be split between locations in both countries.
Defense Ruben Minister Brekelmans made the announcement while paying a weekend visit to Ukraine.
“The Netherlands previously played a pioneering role when it came to supplying F-16s and Patriot missile systems now we are continuing this with advanced drones by investing 400 million euros in a drone action plan. This concerns all kinds of advanced drones that can be used for reconnaissance, defense, and attack. Particularly in the air, but also on land and sea."
If the program turns out to be successful, Brekelmans says the Netherlands will earmark even more money to the program in order to scale up production.
“If Dutch knowledge and technology are brought together with Ukrainian experiences on the battlefield, this will lead to innovative and effective drones. These can really make a difference on the rapidly changing battlefield.”
NATO 🇺🇦
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has taken over as the top guy at NATO. Rutte officially began his new job as NATO Secretary General last week, taking over from Jens Stoltenberg, who had been serving in the post since 2014. Rutte began with an immediate visit to Ukraine to assure the war-torn country that NATO remains a firm supporter in their fight for freedom. He also told Ukrainian leaders that one of his top priorities is to ensure Ukraine will become a NATO member.
“There will be no lasting security in Europe without a strong and independent Ukraine. Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before, and the country continues its path towards NATO membership.”
NATO 🇩🇪/ 🇷🇺
One of Mark Rutte’s other big priorities looks to be overseeing a significant increase in NATO’s military muscle. In his first remarks in taking over the new job other than NATO’s continued support for Ukraine, Rutte said his other objective was fortifying the military alliance against Russia. In his first statement, Rutte emphasized the need for greater military investment, warning that there is "no excuse" for failing to spend more on defense. Since NATO designated Russia as the most immediate threat to its member states in 2022, the alliance has been focused on strengthening its capabilities to defend allied territory. Rutte’s call for increased armaments spending reflects this urgency, with both objectives expected to come at a steep financial cost.
Confidential documents from Germany's Federal Ministry of Defense obtained by German media reveal that in 2024, NATO formally outlined the "Minimum Capability Requirements" (MCR) needed to defend against Russia effectively. These requirements, crafted by top military commanders like U.S. General Christopher Cavoli and French Admiral Pierre Vandier, call for a significant boost in military forces and infrastructure. By 2025, NATO plans to expand the number of combat brigades from 82 to 131, increase the warfighting corps from six to 15, and bolster division headquarters from 24 to 38. Air defense capabilities will also see a dramatic rise, with anti-aircraft units increasing fivefold. These extensive upgrades reflect NATO’s commitment to its goal of defending every inch of allied territory.
Member states, including Germany, face pressure to meet these heightened demands. Germany, for example, is expected to contribute up to six additional combat brigades and a new warfighting corps as part of its share, which is calculated based on the relative wealth and population of each country. However, achieving these goals will require significant new investments. The Bundeswehr, like many NATO militaries, lacks the necessary personnel and equipment to meet these targets without substantial financial support. With NATO predicting that more than 2% of GDP will be required for defense spending, Germany’s defense planners have identified fulfilling these new NATO goals as a top national priority, even as they face the challenge of addressing long-standing shortfalls in military resources.
🇩🇰
The Danish Armed Forces are facing criticism for not paying close enough attention to glean important tactical lessons from the war in Ukraine, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Peter Søndergaard, a major in Denmark’s Defense Development and Planning Staff, has raised concerns about the Danish military’s inability to follow the developments in Ukraine systematically. He warns that without learning lessons from the ongoing war, Denmark risks falling behind in its ability to defend itself, particularly against Russia.
Despite Denmark’s military contributions to Ukraine through the provision of drones and anti-drone equipment, the Danish military has yet to adopt this technology itself. The defense forces have been slow to act, in part due to a lack of manpower and competing priorities, such as efforts to increase the size of its army and the implementation of new equipment. Søndergaard explains that introducing new drone technologies requires a lengthy process of testing, regulation, and training—steps that have yet to be taken. This delay has frustrated Danish drone manufacturers, who feel their expertise and knowledge from the battlefield in Ukraine are being overlooked.
Experts within and outside the Danish military, including Major General Jacob Alexa and military analyst Esben Salling Larsen, agree that while there is individual interest in Ukraine's war lessons, there is no structured effort to collect or apply them across the Danish Armed Forces. Both Alexa and Søndergaard hope for more resources to address these gaps in the future, but with the military still facing shortages in personnel, equipment, and basic supplies, the integration of cutting-edge technology like drones remains low on the priority list. For now, the lessons that could be gleaned from the war in Ukraine are being largely ignored.
🇸🇪 🇱🇻
The Swedish Armed Forces are in the final steps of creating the country’s first NATO deployment battalion. The battalion will consist of about 600 soldiers, combat vehicles, equipment, and support staff.
Minister of Defense Pål Jonson:
“For us, this is a historic event, leaving behind 200 years of neutrality and making our first [NATO] contribution. Now we defend Sweden and the whole of NATO together with our allies.”
The new battalion is engaging in various kinds of combat drills to get everyone on the same page before a January deployment to a NATO base in Latvia, Sweden’s first ever NATO contribution.
Battalion Commander Henrik Rosdahl:
“We are building up to meet a capable opponent. The main purpose is to contribute to deterrence, and if we were to get to the point that Russia acts, we will face a range of different threats.”
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds is in Sweden to see the battalion’s progress firsthand.
“Russia is an existential threat, and we must be ready for different types of scenarios, and the Swedish contribution shows that we as an alliance are prepared to respond to all types of threats.”
🇩🇰
Five months after a man was arrested for making a bomb threat that shut down Billund airport and we still have more questions than answers. Last week, a 37-year-old man was remanded into custody for another four weeks. We know he is facing charges in connection with the bomb threat that closed the airport last April, but what exactly he has been charged with remains a mystery. The only bit of new information is that the man is Russian-speaking.
On April 20, the airport was evacuated and shut down for nine hours while police did an exhaustive search for explosives. The Danish Armed Forces detonated a suspicious object in a gravel pit 13 kilometres away from the airport after the search.
The night before, a bank machine near Legoland was also blown up. Police have yet to say if this was, or was not, connected to the incident at the airport.
🇺🇸 🇺🇦
The United States has tabled another military aid package for Ukraine. This latest donation is worth some $8 billion USD and contains a variety of missiles, drones, air defense systems, and other weapons.
🇺🇸/ 🇷🇺
The U.S. government has pulled the plug on over 100 internet addresses that it says were being used by Russian intelligence agents.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco:
"The Russian government attempted this malicious scheme to steal Americans' sensitive information by using seemingly legitimate email accounts to spoof victims' account information.”
The Ministry of Justice says the scheme was engineered by a Russian state-sponsored hacker group called Callisto. The agency says the group was targeting e-mail accounts belonging to government officials and staff in order to try and steal sensitive information.
Odds & Ends
🇩🇰
More public buses in Holstebro Kommune could soon be free to ride. The municipality’s technical committee has decided buses 296, 297, and 298 should be free for use by all for the next two years. However, first they have to hash out the details with the public transit utility Midttrafik.
The move is designed to encourage people to use public transit more and their cars less, resulting in fewer emissions and less congestion. The municipality has already made other long-distance bus routes free to use.
🇸🇪
Sweden has the largest archipelago in the world, with some 30,000 islands of all shapes and sizes in the waters off the coast of its capital city, Stockholm. Despite its obvious natural wonders, the archipelago is largely empty, but that might soon change. A 270-kilometre-long archipelago trail across 21 of the islands is being built. The goal is to attract nature lovers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts, to explore the largely undiscovered island chain.
🇩🇪/ 🇭🇺
Europe’s dictator within problem continues to fester. Hungary’s Foreign Affairs Ministry called Germany’s ambassador on to the carpet after the ambassador, Julia Gross, criticized the Orbán government in a speech to NGOs and Hungarian officials. In the speech, Gross urged public figures in Hungary to speak out against actions the Orbán government is taking to undermine NATO and negatively impacting Europe’s trust in Hungary.
“Hungary is on a path that leads it away from the country's friends.”