By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – For the second time in two days, NATO jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The Russian aircraft did not violate the airspace of any foreign nations, and after identifying the aircraft, NATO jets let it go.

 

While the Russian Ilyushin-20 surveillance aircraft did not violate the airspace of any nation this time, Russian jets have already done so numerous times. These two incidents mimic incidents that occurred on October 7 and September 11 where Russian jets again went through the Baltic Sea but did not violate any country’s airspace. Finland, however, says that Russian military aircraft have violated Finnish airspace five times already this year, and twice Russian military ships intercepted Finnish research vessels in international water.

Also in the center of the spotlight near the Baltic Sea is an incident in Swedish waters involving what some allege to be a Russian submarine. Reports were that some people had seen what appeared to be a submarine near Stockholm, and Sweden is taking this very seriously. Multiple reports and photographs seem to suggest that there may indeed be something in the Swedish waters that does not belong there.

On Good Friday last year, several Russian military planes conducted a simulated missile attack on Stockholm and southern Sweden. This drill caught Sweden so off-guard that their response jets never even left the ground. However, real or not, Sweden is taking this new incident very seriously and responding with haste.

In 1981, a Soviet submarine with nuclear weapons found itself stranded off Sweden’s southeast coast, an incident now known as the “whiskey on the rocks” incident. After 11 days, the sub was let go, free to return to the Soviet Union. Colonel Jan Mörtberg of the Swedish Defence College says this incident is different, however: “[I]n those days [Russia] didn’t have to restore its superpower-status. That status was clear.” A high-ranking Latvian official made similar claims: “Russia is trying to position itself a dominant centre of power on the global stage.”

Today, Sweden is still searching the waters for any possible submarines, and is not afraid to use weapons to make it surface if needed. Whether there is currently a submarine in Ingaro Bay remains unknown, but Sweden wants to be sure before calling off the search.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Sweden could use force against suspected foreign sub – 22 October 2014

Newsweek – NATO, Swedish Fighters Scrambled to intercept Russian Plane – 22 October 2014

ABC – Estonia: Russian Military Plane Violated Air Space – 22 October 2014

Yahoo – NATO intercepts Russian jets over Baltic Sea – 21 October 2014

Newsweek – The ‘Russian Submarine’ in Swedish Waters Isn’t the Only Unwelcome Visitor in the Baltic Sea – 21 October 2014

Mercury News – Sweden’s hunt for mystery submarine revives Cold War tensions – 20 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BELGRADE, Serbia – A Euro 2016 qualifying match between Albania and Serbia ended abruptly due to a drone carrying a controversial flag that interrupted the game and sparked a riot.

Around 41 minutes into the match, a drone flew over the stadium while carrying a flag depicting the “Greater Albania”, which was shown to include Kosovo. When Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic took down the flag, a brawl quickly erupted. Martin Atkinson, an English referee on the field, tried to take players off the field, but it was too late. A brawl erupted between the two teams, with referees and fans soon finding themselves in the middle of it as well.

Two political figures were also on the flag. The first, Isa Boljetini, was an Albanian nationalist who led uprisings against the Serbs and Ottomans in 1912 and 1913. The second figure was Ismail Qemali, the founder of the modern Albanian state, which gained independence back in 1912.

While some countries recognize Kosovo’s independence, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, other countries do not. Even after Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, Serbia is among those countries that do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Olsi Rama, brother of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, was detained by police on suspicion of being the one responsible for the drone. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, however, insisted Rama be released and allowed back home.

This was the first match Albania has played in Belgrade since 1967, and given the ethnic war in 1999 and Kosovo’s independence in 2008 that have happened since, tensions were already high going into the match. Away fans were not present, and so once the fighting began, the Albanian team was outnumbered. Serbian captain, Branislav Ivanovic, claims that his team “shielded the Albanian players every step of the way to the tunnel.” Albanian captain, Lorik Cana, reports that his players were “being attacked and hit even inside the tunnel, and even by the stewards.” Furthermore, Albania’s coach, Giovanni de Biazzi, reports that four of his players were injured from the incident.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Serbia and Albania game abandoned after drone invasion sparks brawl – 15 October 2014

Reuters – Serbia-Albania match abandoned following drone stunt, brawl – 15 October 2014

The Guardian – Albania and Serbia face heavy Uefa sanctions after abandoned game – 15 October 2014

The Telegraph – Serbia accuses Albania of ‘terrorist action’ with drone carrying flag as both countries charge by Uefa for violence – 15 October 2014

The Washington Post – UPDATED: Drone toting pro-Albanian flag causes riots that end Albania vs. Serbia Euro 2016 qualifier early – 14 October 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

WARSAW, Poland – A mass grave has been unearthed in Bialystok, Poland. The grave was unearthed near the site of the Bialystok Detention Center, an active prison today currently holding 680 prisoners. More than 280 bodies have already been dug up behind the prison, but more have been found on former prison property behind what is now an apartment complex.

 

According to Zbigniew Kulikowski, the prosecutor in charge of the case, the mass graves were not burial grounds; they were “death fields.” The dead are likely victims of the Soviets, Nazis, and Polish security forces.

First, Soviets swept into Poland in September 1939, when over 100 people went missing. Next, from 1941 to 1944, Nazis killed about 6,000 around Bialystok. Finally, in the 1950’s and until 1956 when there was a shift in Soviet policy, Polish security forces were killing Poles. All three of these eras included holding prisoners, often to be killed, at the Bialystok Detention Center, which was created back in 1912 by the Russian czar.

Andrzej Ossowski, the team’s geneticist, says the team has made 40 identifications, including identifications from other sites. Marcin Zwolski, a historian for Poland’s Institute of National Rememberance, and who discovered the site, tries to find any identifying characteristics before bringing samples to Ossowski. Zwolski says that the sites are difficult to discover because the responsible parties “didn’t want anyone giving respect to the dead people.”

Other similar sites have been discovered elsewhere in Poland. The small town of Wasosz suffered a tragedy in 1941 when around 250 Jews were killed and buried in a pit outside town. While some want to dig up the site and examine the evidence, Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich says exhuming the bodies would violate Jewish law regarding respect for the dignity of the dead.

The site in Bialystok has suffered similar resistance. Maciej Bialous, a sociologist at the University of Bialystok, says that “people don’t talk about it … Some people don’t know about it, others don’t care and a lot of people just want to forget it.” Zwolski confirmed: “Some people still feel it is still safer not to talk about such matters.” Zwolski even reports that his team received anonymous threats and had bricks thrown through windows.

The sheer age of these cases and the nature of the circumstances at the time of these crimes make it very difficult to collect evidence. The lack of interest by some, tied with the strong disapproval of the investigation by others, is getting in the way of bringing closure to families that have suffered over decades. Despite these difficulties, the continued work of Zwolski, Kulikowski, Ossowski, and others on the team will continue to unveil more bodies and identify more victims from the atrocities that happened decades ago.

For more information, please see:

Newser – Polish Dig Unearths Decades of Killings – 6 October 2014

The New York Times – Unearthing a Barbarous Past in Poland – 5 October 2014

NBC – Wasosz Pogrom Mass Murder Investigation Sharply Divides Jewish Leaders – 5 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – A United Nations report has come out that has revealed the toll of fighting in Ukraine, particularly since the cease-fire. According to the United Nations’ human rights office in Geneva, at least 331 people have been killed since the cease-fire was announced on September 5.

Despite the cease-fire, around 10 people have been killed each day in fights between Kiev and pro-Russians. Fighting has been particularly focused over the past month in Luhansk and Donetsk. In Donetsk, pro-Russians and Ukrainian military have been fighting daily over the control of a large airport, and nearby towns have been the targets of military shelling.

All-in-all, at least 3,660 people have been killed, and more than 8,756 have been injured, according to Gianni Magazzeni, a senior United Nations human rights official in Geneva. While the cease-fire has led to a sharp decline in fighting, what fighting has continued is enough to cause concern that the cease-fire will not hold.

NATO has shown a particular concern over the continued fighting. The new head of NATO, former Prime Minister of Norway and now secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, has said that Russia must use “all of its influence” to ensure that pro-Russian fighters in eastern Ukraine respect the cease-fire, as well as Kiev.

In addition to NATO, Germany has come to Ukraine’s aid in order to help ensure the cease-fire holds. After passing customs in Poland, 112 trucks from Germany carrying humanitarian aid, over $12 million in supplies, have arrived in Ukraine. While Kiev did not want to let in earlier Russian trucks that Russia claimed contained humanitarian aid, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for this aid.

Further, German Foreign Office spokesman, Martin Schaefer, has said that “a joint Franco-German effort” will be coming in the next “hours or days”. France and Germany are also debating putting drones into Ukraine to help monitor the cease-fire. Already, two drones from Austria have been deployed into Ukraine. The hopes are that this increased monitoring, run by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (“OSCE”), the same group responsible for the cease-fire, will assist in addressing the current problems in order to strengthen the cease-fire.

For more information, please see:

The New York Times – At Least 331 Have Died in Ukraine Since Start of Cease-Fire, U.N. Reports – 8 October 2014

Reuters – Death rate 10 a day in east Ukraine despite ceasefire: U.N. – 8 October 2014

RT – 112 trucks carrying German humanitarian aid enter Ukraine (VIDEO) – 8 October 2014

EurActive – Germany to send troops to Ukraine – 7 October 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Drones Arrive in Ukraine for Monitoring Mission – 6 October 2014

Voice of America – NATO Concerned Over E. Ukraine Cease-fire Violations – 6 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

TALLINN, Estonia – Estonia is working to build up its military support in order to further defer Russia from invading like it did in Ukraine. Unlike with Ukraine, however, Estonia is receiving some help.

United States heavy military equipment of the First Brigade of the First Cavalry Division has arrived today in Tapa, Estonia. This military equipment, according to the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces, includes nine US Strykers, eight Bradley fighting vehicles, and other US military equipment. This will all be used over the next three months in military drills.

In addition to the United States’s recent additions, three prior Strykers were delivered in September. The United States will also be splitting 600 servicemen from the First Brigade of the First Cavalry Division of the US Army between the Baltic states and Poland, and will be replacing the paratroopers of 173d Airborne Brigade with these new troops. Estonia has also reportedly purchased 44 Dutch 193 CV9035NL IFV’s.

Estonia is also receiving help from home, as recruitment in the volunteer unit has doubled in comparison to last year. The Estonian Defense League (“Kaitseliit”) has around 14,500 members in its fighting units, compared to around 3,800 in the professional military.

Along with more recruiting, Estonia has also combated the Russian aggressor by arresting former KGB officers alleged to have crossed into Estonian territory. Mihhail Suhoshin, 64, and Alexander Ladur, 54, are being detained on charges of resisting arrest and illegally entering Estonia. It appears that the men “may have been merely fishing,” according to Kalev Stoicescu, a research fellow and Russia expert at the Tallinn based International Centre for Defence Studies.

Lithuania and Germany have also sought to help another east European nation against Russia. Germany will be sending 200 peacekeepers, including 50 paratroopers, to Ukraine. This marks the first time German troops are being deployed to Ukraine since the Nazi invasion of the then-Soviet territory. Lithuania also plans to increase monetary aid to Ukraine, along with convincing other nations to do the same. The reason behind all of this increased aid to Ukraine is the increased fighting near Donetsk over control of an airport, along with general fighting increasing in eastern Ukraine.

Russian aggression this year has caused many problems throughout Eastern Europe, and Russia has often been the nation playing offense and making the moves. Now the border countries are not only increasing their own defenses, but finally receiving significant help from other allies against Russia.

For more information, please see:

Ria Novosti – US Armored Vehicles Arrive in Estonia for Drills – 5 October 2014

Ria Novosti – US Armoured Vehicles to Arrive in Estonia – 4 October 2014

Mail Online – Germans set to send first troops to Ukraine since WW2 – 4 October 2014

News.com.au – Lithuania puts forward plan to provide defence fund for Ukraine – 3 October 2014

The Guardian – Estonia arrests former KGB officers – 3 October 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Alarm Over Russia Draws Volunteers to Defend Estonia – 2 October 2014

IHS Jane’s 360 – Estonia to buy Dutch CV90s – 2 October 2014