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Ukraine war briefing: Estonia leads with entry ban on Russians who fought in Ukraine

Ukraine war briefing: Estonia leads with entry ban on Russians who fought in Ukraine

‘We call on other countries to do the same’ says foreign minister; major fires after Ukraine targets Russian drone plant at Taganrog. What we know on day 1,421 The Estonian government has banned 261 Russians who fought in Ukraine from entering Estonia. “This is only the beginning,” said Markus Tsahkna, Estonia’s foreign minister. “We call on other countries to do the same.” Estonia, which borders Russia, has called for a Europe-wide visa ban on Russian veterans of the Ukraine war , and has gained support from Baltic and Nordic countries. Its interior ministry estimates as many as 1.5 million Russians have taken part in the invasion, about half of them having served on the frontline. Estonia’s interior minister, Igor Taro, said the threat posed was “not theoretical”, adding that the Russians had “combat experience and military training, and may often have a criminal background” . The interior ministry said those who had committed atrocities in Ukraine had “no place in the free world”. The move was praised the Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrij Sybiga, who called entry bans a “necessary security measure” and “a clear signal that impunity will not be tolerated”. Ukraine said its forces struck a drone manufacturing plant in the western Rostov region of Russia where the governor reported a local state of emergency there after two “enterprises” were hit. Various reports identified the target as the Atlant Aero plant at Taganrog making Russia’s Molniya strike and surveillance drones as well as parts for Orion drones. Video footage and photographs showed buildings well ablaze. Two Greek-owned oil tankers were hit in the Black Sea on Tuesday , one of which was scheduled to load Kazakh oil on Russia’s coast, officials said. The Maltese-flagged Matilda and Liberian-flagged Delta Harmony did not sustain major damage and there were no injuries, Greece’s maritime ministry told Agence France-Presse. The Matilda was headed to load Kazakh oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk when it was attacked, Kazakh state energy firm Kazmunaygas said. Ukraine has previously targeted the shared CPC terminal as it seeks to deprive Russia of oil revenue. Russia struck cities across Ukraine overnight into Tuesday in one of its biggest attacks of the new year so far, killing at least four people and knocking out heat and power , exposing millions to dangerous winter cold . Continue reading...