Latest news with #Baltic
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together." Read the original article on Business Insider
Economic Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Latvia here we come! Rich Indians' ticket to Europe
Live Events Mumbai: They don't belong to the club of the ultra-rich who pick a pricey passport of the Global North. They neither feature in the cast of serious characters snooping around for citizenship of a Caribbean or South Pacific nation, to escape the law enforcement authorities in India. They are IT professionals, exporters, physicians, and entrepreneurs - a reasonably affluent lot-looking for a free access and foothold in Europe without surrendering their Indian citizenships or shelling out big money on fancy migration of them are opting for Latvia, the Baltic country which has joined the game of golden visa in full earnest-positioning itself as the cheapest gateway to the continent. "As of 2024, Indian nationals may account for approximately 10% of all applications to Latvia 's 'Residence by Investment' programme. Following Latvia's 2022 exclusion of Russian and Belarusian applicants, there has been a noticeable shift in the nationalities of applicants and we have seen a rise in demand from Indian families," said Rohit Bhardwaj, country head, India at Henley & Partners which offers investment migration Indians, keen on a plan-B with their children settling abroad, have changed residency with the intention of eventually becoming a citizen of countries like Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and UAE that levies no personal income tax. The trend deepened with the pandemic, driving many to move wealth and buy jumbo life insurance plans in overseas jurisdictions.(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)"I would attribute the increased interest in Latvia to two factors: first, the low cash outflow at entry-only ₹60,000 plus fees compared to ₹500,000 for most other European countries; second, faster processing time. Programmes like the Portugal Golden Visa, though superior, have done themselves no favour by changes in rules and long bureaucratic delays," said Vikas Tandon, who had successfully applied for Portuguese golden visa in 2020, and founded the company Golden Homes Portugal, using his expertise to advise investment going into private companies identified by Latvian authorities is a sunk cost, with no voting rights and only half of which can be recovered if the visa is relinquished. Instead, some buy homes which would cost ₹250,000. "Latvia supports both routes, with clear legal frameworks and minimal bureaucratic hurdles. While investing in foreign companies involves additional disclosures and compliance with regulations like reporting of ODI, the strategic benefits outweigh the procedural formalities," said Moin Ladha, partner at Khaitan & Co. Under India's forex laws, Indian nationals can invest abroad, including capital and current account to Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, a citizenship investment advisory, the majority of its clients interested in accessing the Latvia programme are Indian citizens. "We've observed a 30% year-on-year increase in Indian inquiries since 2023. Many are entrepreneurs and SME owners who desire EU access without high costs associated with Germany or the Netherlands. With several EU nations increasing minimum investment thresholds, or closing programmes, Latvia offers the freedom to live, travel, and work at an attractive price point," said Arton. A few plan to settle at Riga after retirement, said Anurag Manakikar, associate director at Henley, who advised a senior corporate the programme has been there for long, there has been greater awareness as people looked around for options, said Manakikar. What also stoked interest was the high rejection in Schengen visa applications and absence of minimum stay requirement in Latvia."However, to derive real benefit, a person has to reside or settle in Latvia or any other preferred country. If someone continues to reside in India, he would remain a resident here under the Income Tax Act and FEMA. So, benefits would be confined to non-requirement of visa in Europe," said Rajesh Shah, partner at the CA firm Jayantilal Thakkar & Company.A property investment in Dubai for a UAE Golden visa could work better if tax is the sole consideration for anyone planning to become an NRI. Unlike Portugal's Golden Visa, which requires a minimum stay of only 15 days every 2 years to become eligible for an EU passport (after only 5 years since date of application), a Latvian passport requires becoming a physical resident for almost a decade. Nonetheless, for many, Latvia's low cost is the pull factor.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Gray Baltic seals released into the waters of the Gulf of Finland
A second batch of gray Baltic seals were on Friday set free into their natural habitat, the waters of the Gulf of Finland by Russian officials. Four seal pups were released: three males and one female, St Petersburg Vodokanal said in a statement accompanying the footage.
India Gazette
14 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Latvia: Kanimozhi-led all-party delegation pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi bust at National Library in Riga
Riga [Latvia], May 30 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi paid tribute to the Mahatma Gandhi bust installed in the National Library in Riga on Friday. DMK MP Kanimozhi garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The other members of the delegation also paid their respects. Earlier in the day, the Kanimozhi-led delegation met with Andzejs Vilumsons, the State Secretary of Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Andrejs Pildegovics, the Ambassador of Special Tasks of the Secretariat of the Candidate of Latvia to the UN Security Council and Permanent Representative of Latvia to the UN on Friday. The delegation led by Kanimozhi also held a joint meeting in Latvia's Riga with the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Friendship group of Parliamentarians for India. The meeting was held at the Latvian Saeima, which is a unicameral parliament of delegation members also interacted with think tank members and senior officers from the foreign and other ministries. The Kanimozhi-led delegation arrived in Latvia's capital, Riga, on Friday. India's ambassador to Latvia, Namrata Kumar, welcomed them. Following the arrival of the all-party delegation in Latvia, the Indian Ambassador to Latvia, Namrata Kumar, stressed the importance of the Indian delegation's visit to Latvia. She said that the delegation will stress India's position on terrorism and its zero tolerance for the issue and mentioned that during the first high-level visit following the opening of the resident mission in Latvia, the delegation will also speak about mobilising a global alliance for the fight against terrorism. 'The delegation is here especially for a very specific objective to stress our position on terrorism, zero tolerance for terrorism and our continuous fight against terrorism. India and Latvia share very strong and friendly relations. This is also testified by the fact that last year we opened our resident Mission here, which shows that the bilateral relations between the two countries are growing. This is the first high-level visit after the opening of the resident mission in Latvia... Our delegation will speak about mobilising the global alliance for the fight against terrorism,' she told ANI. Namrata Kumar further informed that the all-party delegation will meet the Latvian parliamentarians. The delegation is also scheduled to meet with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian Parliament, which is called 'Saeima.' 'They are going to be meeting the parliamentarians - amongst the parliamentarians, they are specifically going to carry out meetings with the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of their Parliament, which is called Saeima... When it comes to the Baltic Assembly, where the parliamentarians of the three Baltic countries - Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are represented. It means when our delegation, coming from India, is going to speak to the members of the Latvian parliamentarians, they are also going to promote the idea and the whole objective that they are coming with to the other two countries,' Kumar further said. On Thursday, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, leading an all-party delegation to Greece, said India has made it clear that it will no longer distinguish between individual acts of terror and state-sponsored terrorism. The delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, includes Rajeev Rai (Samajwadi Party), Mian Altaf Ahmad (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference), Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Ashok Kumar Mittal (Aam Aadmi Party), and Former envoys Manjeev S Puri and Jawed Ashraf. (ANI)
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Latvia here we come! Rich Indians' ticket to Europe
Mumbai: They don't belong to the club of the ultra-rich who pick a pricey passport of the Global North. They neither feature in the cast of serious characters snooping around for citizenship of a Caribbean or South Pacific nation, to escape the law enforcement authorities in India. They are IT professionals, exporters, physicians, and entrepreneurs - a reasonably affluent lot-looking for a free access and foothold in Europe without surrendering their Indian citizenships or shelling out big money on fancy migration programmes. Settling Abroad Some of them are opting for Latvia, the Baltic country which has joined the game of golden visa in full earnest-positioning itself as the cheapest gateway to the continent. "As of 2024, Indian nationals may account for approximately 10% of all applications to Latvia 's 'Residence by Investment' programme. Following Latvia's 2022 exclusion of Russian and Belarusian applicants, there has been a noticeable shift in the nationalities of applicants and we have seen a rise in demand from Indian families," said Rohit Bhardwaj, country head, India at Henley & Partners which offers investment migration advisory. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Wealthy Indians, keen on a plan-B with their children settling abroad, have changed residency with the intention of eventually becoming a citizen of countries like Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and UAE that levies no personal income tax. The trend deepened with the pandemic, driving many to move wealth and buy jumbo life insurance plans in overseas jurisdictions. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) "I would attribute the increased interest in Latvia to two factors: first, the low cash outflow at entry-only ₹60,000 plus fees compared to ₹500,000 for most other European countries; second, faster processing time. Programmes like the Portugal Golden Visa, though superior, have done themselves no favour by changes in rules and long bureaucratic delays," said Vikas Tandon, who had successfully applied for Portuguese golden visa in 2020, and founded the company Golden Homes Portugal, using his expertise to advise others. Live Events Benefits Outweigh Formalities The investment going into private companies identified by Latvian authorities is a sunk cost, with no voting rights and only half of which can be recovered if the visa is relinquished. Instead, some buy homes which would cost ₹250,000. "Latvia supports both routes, with clear legal frameworks and minimal bureaucratic hurdles. While investing in foreign companies involves additional disclosures and compliance with regulations like reporting of ODI, the strategic benefits outweigh the procedural formalities," said Moin Ladha, partner at Khaitan & Co. Under India's forex laws, Indian nationals can invest abroad, including capital and current account transactions. According to Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, a citizenship investment advisory, the majority of its clients interested in accessing the Latvia programme are Indian citizens. "We've observed a 30% year-on-year increase in Indian inquiries since 2023. Many are entrepreneurs and SME owners who desire EU access without high costs associated with Germany or the Netherlands. With several EU nations increasing minimum investment thresholds, or closing programmes, Latvia offers the freedom to live, travel, and work at an attractive price point," said Arton. A few plan to settle at Riga after retirement, said Anurag Manakikar, associate director at Henley, who advised a senior corporate honcho. Greater Awareness While the programme has been there for long, there has been greater awareness as people looked around for options, said Manakikar. What also stoked interest was the high rejection in Schengen visa applications and absence of minimum stay requirement in Latvia. "However, to derive real benefit, a person has to reside or settle in Latvia or any other preferred country. If someone continues to reside in India, he would remain a resident here under the Income Tax Act and FEMA. So, benefits would be confined to non-requirement of visa in Europe," said Rajesh Shah, partner at the CA firm Jayantilal Thakkar & Company. A property investment in Dubai for a UAE Golden visa could work better if tax is the sole consideration for anyone planning to become an NRI. Unlike Portugal's Golden Visa, which requires a minimum stay of only 15 days every 2 years to become eligible for an EU passport (after only 5 years since date of application), a Latvian passport requires becoming a physical resident for almost a decade. Nonetheless, for many, Latvia's low cost is the pull factor.
