‘We will not be intimidated,’ Estonian PM says after attributing recent arson attack to Russia
Estonia’s prime minister Kristen Michal does not seem to be convinced by Russia’s denials.
Minutes after we got a response from the Kremlin, he posted on X:
“The arson attack against Milrem Robotics was ordered by Russian special services.
This is part of Russia’s broader campaign across Europe to intimidate us and weaken our support for Ukraine. It will not work.
Our response will be the opposite: stronger security at home, more support for Ukraine and greater pressure on Russia.
We will not be intimidated.”
The Estonian government also published a handy summary of the case so far:
“The criminal investigation into the exact circumstances of the incident is continuing, but the preliminary information gathered so far in the criminal proceedings also indicates that the attack was commissioned. The suspects believed to have directly carried out the arson attack have been apprehended and taken into custody and no longer pose a threat.
On the night of 15 August, a fire broke out in a building used by defence industry company Milrem Robotics on Betooni Street in Tallinn’s Lasnamäe district. Emergency services responded immediately and the fire was quickly brought under control. No lives were in danger.
On 17 August, two Latvian citizens suspected of carrying out the arson attack were detained in Latvia. A third suspect was detained on 18 August. Searches of locations associated with the suspects in Latvia resulted in the seizure of numerous data storage devices and items that may have been used to set fire to the building.
On 17–18 September, Latvia handed over all three suspects to Estonia.”
Key events
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Could Burnham’s new post-Brexit vision see a move away from Starmer’s red lines? – snap analysis
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Burnham to set out ‘options’ for Britain’s EU relationship later this year
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Burnham lays out reforms plans to make Britain ‘more resilient to the shocks we will undoubtedly face’
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‘It keeps growing’: the tent camp that stands against Spain’s housing crisis
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Two former Hungarian ministers detained over suspected bribery and misuse of public funds
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‘UK stands with Estonia in confronting unacceptable attacks,’ ambassador says
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Russia’s ‘terror against Ukraine’ is ‘intensifying by the day,’ Ukraine’s foreign minister warns
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‘Proliferation of hostile acts reflects a dangerous escalation on part of Russia,’ Macron says
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‘We will not be intimidated,’ Estonian PM says after attributing recent arson attack to Russia
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Kremlin rejects Estonia’s attribution of arson attack on defence company to Russia
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Nato’s top figures focus on pushing back against Russia’s attempt to undermine support for Ukraine – snap analysis
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Rutte, Sinkevičius warn against Russia’s ‘campaign of hostile actions’ to test Nato’s resolve – summary
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Rutte says Nato has ‘options’ when responding to hybrid attacks
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Lithuania’s PM pushes back against warnings of imminent threat from Russia
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Keep calm and carry on supporting Ukraine, Rutte tells allies
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‘Russia’s actions are becoming increasingly hostile and less restrained,’ Lithuanian PM warns
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‘Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against Nato allies,’ Rutte warns
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Drone incursions into Nato territory show ‘evolving nature of the threat,’ Rutte says
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Two foreign vessels hits in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
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‘Russia’s fingerprints are all over’ this, Lithuanian foreign minister responds to Estonia’s arson attack attribution
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Arson attack ‘consistent with other acts of sabotage carried out in Europe on behalf of Russia,’ Estonia says
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Estonia’s arson attack attribution to Russia ‘extremely serious,’ Sweden’s caretaker PM says
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Estonia summons Russia’s chargé d’affaires over arson attack on a robotics company
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Europe is one of the most exposed regions on diesel, energy chief warns
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Morning opening: Russia hits port facilities in Odesa
Could Burnham’s new post-Brexit vision see a move away from Starmer’s red lines? – snap analysis
Lisa O’Carroll
Senior correspondent
Andy Burnham’s promise to set out a new vision for the UK’s post Brexit relationship with the EU later this year unleashes the prospects of a dramatic move away from Keir Starmer’s red lies of not rejoining the single market or customs union.
All day yesterday in Liverpool, rumours were swirling that Burnham had some big reveal on the EU in his speech.
Although he didn’t specify what the new relationship would look like, announcing he wants a consultation on options the Labour party can embrace, will be music to ears of people like Stella Creasy, the head of Labour’s movement for Europe group.
“Today the prime minister, Andy Burnham, showed he understands the damage Brexit has done and will lead this country back towards a future with Europe.”
”There’s never been a more important time to join the @labourmovementforeurope to be part of shaping what comes next,” she wrote as he left the hall.
Burnham announced he would be looking at all options for the UK’s post Brexit relationship around the next summit with the EU, due to be held at the end of November.
Although ministers over the weekend including Europe minister Hamish Falconer had insisted Andy Burnham was “ambitious” for his plans with the EU, there was no details of what that looked like. Until today.
Burnham has now raised the prospects that he could blur or even rub out Keir Starmer’s red lines, not joining the single market or customs union, or even go into the next election promising another referendum to rejoin the EU.
Only yesterday Lord Liddle, a Labour grandee, was telling a panel on the EU in Liverpool that the UK had “got rather stuck” in its negotiations with Brussels.
Starmer, he said, could never really make up his mind about where he wanted the UK to be.
He “blew hot and cold” and “the red lines were brought out too often” Liddle said referring to Starmer’s insistence the UK would not rejoin the single market or customs union.
If the UK is serious about group, Liddle said, “the first thing” it has to look at is “the relationship with the EU”.
Burnham to set out ‘options’ for Britain’s EU relationship later this year
In his speech Burnham also talked about his plans to look at Britain’s future relationship with the EU again.
“We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of this century until we decide on a long term relationship with what is still our largest market.
I cannot say to you truthfully that where we are is good enough. Brexit has done more harm than good.
We need to restore a higher level of growth and prosperity for Britain.
So I will take the opportunity around the summit to lay out to you, to lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain’s long term relationship with our European partners.
And there are different options, and I will see if we can find consensus around one.”
Burnham lays out reforms plans to make Britain ‘more resilient to the shocks we will undoubtedly face’
Over in the UK, prime minister Andy Burnham is addressing the Labour party conference this afternoon, setting his plans for the country.
In a brief passage on security and defence, he says:
“A country [reformed] like that will be much more resilient to the shocks we will undoubtedly face in the rest of this century and more able to meet its Nato obligations on defence …
I will be steadfast in my support for Ukraine, and stand up to threats whenever they come from: Russia, Iran, or anywhere.”
If you’re interested in details, my colleague Andrew Sparrow has all of it over on the UK blog:
We have got some more pictures for you from protests in Madrid.
‘It keeps growing’: the tent camp that stands against Spain’s housing crisis
Ashifa Kassam
in Madrid
Wielding a broom and dustpan, Marta García, 60, darted past the edges of tents, sweeping up bits of litter as she passed a poster that read: “What kind of times are these, when we need to defend the obvious?”
On Saturday, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid to protest against the country’s deepening housing crisis, the retired schoolteacher was among a small group who had sought to take the protest one step further.
“At first we were 10 tents,” she said, gesturing to the sprawling encampment set up in the central Puerta del Sol plaza behind her. “Now, we’re more than 300 tents, and it keeps growing.”
Days earlier, many across Spain had watched in shock as news channels showed Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman with a disability, being evicted from the home where she had lived for seven decades.
The shock soon gave way to anger as the octogenarian was shown being brought out of her home on a stretcher, flanked by protesters on one side and police officers on the other.
Housing campaigners seized on the moment. “The whole country has seen that housing speculation has no mercy on anyone,” said Alicia del Río of the Madrid Tenants’ Union. “We’re not sad, we’re angry. And we’re not going to stop until we change things.”
Two former Hungarian ministers detained over suspected bribery and misuse of public funds
Jon Henley
Two ministers in Viktor Orbán’s former far-right government suspected separately of misusing millions of euros of public funds and taking millions more in bribes have been detained, hours after Hungarian MPs voted to lift their immunity.
Prosecutors said on Tuesday that Balázs Hankó, Orbán’s culture minister and still an MP in the former prime minister’s nationalist Fidesz party, was taken into custody late on Monday. Hankó is suspected of misappropriation of funds. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Miklós Seszták, an MP from Fidesz ally KDNP who served as minister for national development between 2014 and 2018, was also detained on Monday as part of an investigation into alleged bribery. He too has denied wrongdoing.
In more US-Russia relationship news, Interfax reports that Russian economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov will take part in a G20 trade ministers’ meeting in the US which is scheduled to start tomorrow.
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev had meetings with representatives of US departments of Treasury and Energy during his visit to Washington, sources have told Reuters.
It is a further sign of the Trump administration normalising relations with Russia despite the ongoing attacks on Ukraine and concerns over Russia’s action from Nato allies. Last week US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US had invited Putin to attend a G20 summit scheduled for Miami in December.
‘UK stands with Estonia in confronting unacceptable attacks,’ ambassador says
And the UK has now also offered its support for Estonia after its government’s decision to attribute a recent arson attack to Russia.
UK ambassador to Estonia Jo Lomas said:
“The UK stands with Estonia in confronting these unacceptable attacks. They will not weaken our resolve or our support for Ukraine.”
Russia’s ‘terror against Ukraine’ is ‘intensifying by the day,’ Ukraine’s foreign minister warns
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Russia’s “terror against Ukraine” which he says is “intensifying by the day,” after another night of attacks on Kyiv and Odesa region.
“This is Russia’s deliberate escalation instead of accepting Ukraine’s offers to cease fire, negotiate, and end the war. Putin’s rejection of peace must have consequences for Russia,” Sybiha said.
He said:
“We are grateful to all partners who are strengthening Ukraine’s air defence and providing the systems and interceptors that are saving lives right now. Every successful interception proves that this support works.
At the same time, Russia must face growing pressure for every new wave of terror. Stronger sanctions, fewer resources for its war machine, and fewer opportunities to circumvent existing restrictions.
Moscow should not be allowed to turn another winter into a weapon. Every Russian escalation must bring the opposite of what the Kremlin expects – stronger protection for Ukraine, greater pressure on Russia, and a higher price for continuing this war.”
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