Royal Danish Embassy T. Kosciuskos 36, LT-01100 Vilnius Tel: +370 (5) 264 8768 Mob: +370 6995 7760 The Defence Attaché To Fax: +370 (5) 231 2300 Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania Newsletter for the Baltics Week 9 2018 The following information is gathered from usually reliable and open sources, mainly from the Baltic News Service (BNS), respective defence ministries press releases and websites as well as various newspapers, etc. Table of contents LITHUANIA .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Kaspersky considers contesting Lithuania’s decision to restrict its software ............................ 2 Drills will allow better preparation for hybrid threats .................................................................. 3 LATVIA ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Latvian and Japanese defence ministers agree to continue cooperation in cyber-defence ...... 3 Russian military ship spotted near Latvian waters ....................................................................... 4 AP article on Latvia’s Rimsevics was picked up by websites used for Russian propaganda ...... 4 ESTONIA .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Poll: Estonians’ will to defend their country remains high ........................................................... 4 Estonian Prime Minister meets with allied soldiers serving at Amari Air Base ........................... 5 Deputy Commander of US European Command visiting Estonia ................................................ 5 US military presents Patriot air defence missile system in Tallinn ............................................... 5 K9 howitzer displayed after Independence Day military parade ................................................. 6 LITHUANIA Kaspersky considers contesting Lithuania’s decision to restrict its software 1 March, Russia-based Kaspersky Lab stated that they consider contesting the Lithuanian government’s decision to restrict the use of its software on sensitive computers. Evgeny Grigorenko, head of public affairs for Europe at Kaspersky Lab, says that the company has so far received no response from the Lithuanian government regarding a dialog. “At the moment…our intention is to establish a dialogue, and…we are focusing on the litigation in the USA,” Grigorenko said at a news conference in Vilnius. “But in the end we still have to protect our market positions …It means that, in the end, if we see that we are discriminated in the specific market, we will…to go to court if needed”, he said. Kaspersky Lab will in the future seek to provide services in Europe via an intermediary, with plans to set up a center managed by a company not affiliated with the security software provider. All Lithuanian critical IT system managers, that had Kaspersky 2 Lab products on their computers, have stopped using the company’s software after the government said in late December that it posed a threat to national security. Concerns about Kaspersky products heightened after the United States said that the company might be working with Russian intelligence services. Last September the US government banned civil agencies from using Kaspersky software. The company has appealed against the decision. Drills will allow better preparation for hybrid threats 28 February, Transport and Communications Minister Rokas Masiulis stated that the training for Lithuania’s strategic transport companies, the Armed Forces, and the Aras anti-terrorist unit, would result in better preparations for hybrid threats. “We must be ready for all types of threats, both physical and cyber. Today we are holding the first exercise of this broad range, with participation of the entire transport sector, the military, and all special services, as well as the police.” In his words, today’s cyber threats are real, however, it is also important to realise the level of physical security. The exercise Hybrid Wind IoT 2018 serves as continuation of the Iron Eyesight 9/11 held last September. This year’s exercise will respond to a column of heavy vehicles moving towards the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda and ignore directional signs. A signal will also be received about an airborne malfunction of an aircraft carrying conscripts from Russia to the Kaliningrad region with a request to land. In addition, a bomb will be planted on a viaduct close to the Klaipeda central terminal, and a military cargo will be derailed next to the terminal. Furthermore, a military freight will drop from a train car at Sestokai railway station, causing leak of hazardous substances, followed by a power blackout in the port city of Klaipeda. Throughout the exercise, absence of GSM connection will be simulated, forcing the participants to communicate without mobile telephones. The training involves 16 different institutions and approximately 1,000 specialists. LATVIA Latvian and Japanese defence ministers agree to continue cooperation in cyber-defence 1 March, Latvian Defence Minister, Raimonds Bergmanis, and Japanese Defence Minister, Itsunori Onodera, have agreed on the necessity to continue both countries’ cooperation in cyber-defence and strategic communication. During his visit to Japan, Bergmanis met with the Japanese Defence Minister for a detailed discussion on both countries’ regional security issues. The ministers discussed the threats from North Korea and exchanged opinions on the situation in Russia, and its military build-up near the two countries’ borders. Onodera voiced concerns about Russia’s increased military 3 activity near Japan’s border, including Vostok 2018, a strategic military exercise Russia is going to stage this year. Bergmanis noted that Latvia, too, experienced similar security challenges as Russia held its Zapad manoeuvres in 2017. Russian military ship spotted near Latvian waters 26 February, a Russian military ship was spotted near the Latvian border. The Russian military vessel Yury Ivanov was detected in Latvia’s exclusive economic zone, seven nautical miles from Latvia’s territorial waters. AP article on Latvia’s Rimsevics was picked up by websites used for Russian propaganda 23 February, Janis Sarts, the head of the Riga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (StratCom COE), said the reports about Latvia’s involvement in corruption schemes were widely circulated by the same websites that are used for the Russian propaganda. This is the same pattern that was observed before the U.S. presidential election in 2016, which is very suspicious. He said that the Bank of Latvia governor, Ilmars Rimsevics, was being investigated on corruption suspicions. ESTONIA Poll: Estonians’ will to defend their country remains high 28 February, 68 percent of Estonian citizens would be ready to participate in the defence of the country in accordance with their abilities and skills should the need arise. Last year the number was 67 percent, and in 2016 it was 66 percent. In a breakdown by ethnic background, 71 percent of ethnic Estonians and 57 percent of Russian-speakers would in 2018 be ready to participate in activities of defence. In all three surveys respondents were also asked whether citizens of Estonia should fight for their country in a war if the country was attacked. The percentage of people who answered yes was 87 percent in 2016, 82 percent in 2017 and 88 percent in 2018. The outcome of an international survey made by WIN/Gallup in 2015 showed that the will to fight for one’s country is 25 percent on the average in Western Europe. The Defence Forces and the police enjoy the highest levels of trust in the institutions of Estonia. The trust ratings of these two institutions are 88 percent and 86 percent, respectively. By comparison, the trust towards the government is 50 percent and the parliament 49 percent of citizens. Meanwhile the trust rating of political parties is at 22 percent. 4 Estonian Prime Minister meets with allied soldiers serving at Amari Air Base 26 February, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas looked at the work of the air operations centre at the Amari Air Base and met with pilots of the Italian Air Force currently deployed there, as well as an air force contingent of the Ohio National Guard from the United States. In the meeting with the Italian contingent, Ratas said that the contribution of Italy to the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission is an example of the unity and solidarity of allies. Italy took over the Baltic Air Policing duties at Amari Air Base in January instead of Belgium. The unit of the U.S. National Guard is conducting their training at Amari Air Base from mid-January to mid-March. In addition to collaborating with the Air Force of Estonia, they also perform training exercises with Finnish and Swedish pilots. Italian and U.S. aircraft took part in the military parade to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia on 24 February. Deputy Commander of US European Command visiting Estonia 24 February, Deputy Commander of the United States European Command Lieutenant General Timothy Ray was on a visit to Estonia and discussed bilateral cooperation at a meeting with Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Defence Jonatan Vseviov. Ray, who was visiting Estonia for the country's 100th anniversary, met with Vseviov, with whom the Deputy Commander discussed future steps