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BALTIC 67 PERFORMANCE CRUISER

A fast, easy to handle cruising yacht benefitting from the highest quality carbon fibre construction, half a century of seamanlike design experience and the opportunity for owners to customise layout. This performance bluewater cruiser is designed to meet the demands of owners looking for a fast, easy to sail, good looking, long distance cruising yacht displaying seamanlike design throughout and benefitting from the carbon fibre engineering and building skills perfected by Baltic Yachts over 50 years.

By using sandwich construction with carbon Epoxy Sprint to produce a strong, light structure the Baltic 67 Performance Cruiser will not only ensure comfortable cruising, but also sail fast in the light to moderate downwind conditions prevailing in typical ocean crossings. For anyone contemplating comfortable, speedy ocean sailing this yacht provides you with a genuine performance edge.

Those who wish take part in competitive events will find this yacht extremely effective without having to convert to race mode.

By using a uniform design for the hull, build time can be significantly reduced and still provides the clients with a chance to personalise the yacht’s interior to suit their needs and taste.

With her relatively light displacement, easily-driven hull and low rig loads, the Baltic 67PC will be a safe and easy yacht to handle for a short-handed crew.

• single-line slab or in-boom reefing - owner's choice
• non-overlapping working jib
• powered trimming winches within easy reach of the helmsman
• bow thruster
• exceptionally well balanced helm
• twin wheels for excellent visibility from the steering position
• good directional stability to make her enjoyable and easy to sail for a short-handed crew
• not too 'hungry' on auto-pilot power

PROVIDES PERFECT PLATFORM

Baltic Yachts has built more than 560 yachts of all types over 50 years accumulating unmatched experience in carbon engineering and construction. The use of carbon fibre and lightweight foam cores has proven advantages in terms of weight, insulation and maintenance.

Easily driven, but with plenty of stability with her beam running well aft, this yacht will be finger-light on the helm in all conditions. A telescopic lifting keel, the engineering for which has been perfected by Baltic Yachts over 20 years, is an option which will reduce draft to 2.50m for access to shallower anchorages.

With hull shape and bulkhead positions fixed for economy and speed of build, the Baltic 67 Performance Cruiser offers several accommodation layouts and deck options.

DELIVERY YEAR

MAIN SPECIFICATIONS

• L.O.A. 20.52 m
• D.W.L. 19.20 m
• BEAM 5.45 m
• DRAFT 3.90 m
• DISPLACEMENT 24,400 kg
• BALLAST 9,000 kg
• NAVAL ARCHITECT judel/vrolijk & co
• STYLING Design Unlimited

PRELIMINARY SAIL AREA

• UPWIND 257 m2
• DOWNWIND 530 m2

DECK LAYOUT OPTIONS

The Baltic 67 Performance Cruiser is based on the same hull for the purposes of speed of build and economy. For the same reasons the deck is from one mould, but options can be built in to provide clients with a number of choices relating to cockpit design, transom style, superstructure window detailing, bowsprit provision and anchor stowage arrangements.

Depending on a client’s wishes, other detailed changes can be considered. For weight saving, the decks are constructed in advanced carbon/foam composites using the precision engineering and attention to detail for which Baltic Yachts is renowned.

DECK LAYOUT A

This version features an open or closed transom. Access to the dinghy garage is via a large transom door. Cockpit sole hatches also provide access to the lazarette. Twin wheels, a relatively long mainsheet track and easy-to-reach mainsail and headsail trimming winches, positioned well away from the main seating area, are features in the after end of the cockpit.

The coachroof features side windows, a number of overhead opening hatches and storage lockers. A wide expanse of clean deck forward of the mast leads to a swing-out, under-deck anchor stowage arrangement and an optional integral bowsprit from which code sails can be set. A permanent anchor stowage arrangement on the integral bowsprit is an option.

DECK LAYOUT B

This version features an open or closed transom with protection in the latter afforded by an area of raised aft deck to meet the side decks. Apart from the additional protection, this also provides another seating area. Main access to the lazarette and dinghy stowage is via the opening transom, a feature of both layouts.

The same twin wheel, mainsheet track and trimming winch positions feature. Further forward in the cockpit, two fixed tables serve comfortable seating areas on both sides. The coachroof in this version features overhead opening hatches and a wide, forward-facing window plus side windows. This option comes with a swing-out, under-deck anchor stowage arrangement and optional integral bowsprit.

GENERAL LAYOUT OPTIONS

A four sleeping cabin option with the master suite forward comprising a portside double berth, a head and shower compartment right forward and a large desk/dressing table to starboard.Twin and single berth cabins, located either side of the keel casing, share a head compartment to starboard and a separate shower unit to port.

The main saloon features an L-shaped seating unit to port set around a large dining table with a settee and coffee table opposite. A fixed, forward facing chart table is located to starboard of the companionway and a linear galley, open to the saloon, is positioned to port. A twin cabin with aft facing single berths and its own head and shower is located in the starboard aft quarter while the engine space lies between this cabin and the galley.

A three sleeping cabin layout with the master suite forward tted with an aft facing centreline double berth. The en suite head and shower compartment is larger than option A and there is a separate head compartment serving the twin portside cabin. An of ce area, which can convert to a single cabin, is located opposite.

The main saloon features U-shaped seating to port plus a dining table with an L-shaped settee opposite and a dedicated outboard facing chart table. The layout features a starboard side quarter berth with a double bunk, an en suite head and separate shower compartment. The linear galley is separated from the main saloon by bulkheads.

This layout features two double cabins up forward with their own en suite head and shower compartments. The owner’s cabin right forward features an aft facing centreline double berth and a desk/vanity unit to port with separate head and shower compartments with their own access. The VIP double.

The main saloon is open plan with the portside linear galley and features a large U-shaped seating area to port surrounding a table for at least six settings. An outboard facing chart table is located at the foot of the starboard settee. This layout features a tired twin cabin in the port quarter with access to a separate head and shower compartment.

The owner’s suite is positioned forward with the double berth facing forward and to port. The starboard side head and shower are en suite and the cabin is also equipped with a settee and vanity unit/ desk. A port side twin cabin is located outboard of the keel box with an of ce opposite. Large seating areas either side of the main saloon include a centreline bench seat inboard of the dining table.

Because there is no dedicated chart table more space is available for a large settee seating area to star- board. The main saloon is open to the portside linear galley with no dividing bulkheads. Twin aft facing singles in the port quarter cabin are served by an en suite shower and head compartment which also serves as a day head.

Personalising your interior design.

We are keen to build on the understated elegance and heritage of interior styling that has evolved aboard Baltic production and semi-custom yachts.

A careful balance of selected wood and modern fabrics using a wide range of sophisticated colour and design will help clients develop their personal interior styling.

Baltic Yachts is acutely aware of the need for seamanlike design in the accommodation, from rounded corners and proper fiddles to a galley safe to use in any conditions and equipped with proper ventilation and good natural light.

Effective passage berths, stowage, ventilation and other key items for comfortable and safe long distance cruising will not be compromised, neither will they detract from a client’s choice of finish.

YACHT STYLING

This more traditional approach is inspired by Baltic’s earlier yacht interiors with a modern take on typical Baltic style.

Detailed design such as rounded edges and fiddled worktops in a practical yachting style are given a refreshing update.

APARTMENT STYLING

A more streamlined, modern approach to design and styling in which all the practical and safety features of a yacht interior are in place but create less visual impact.

Cleaner, harder edged lines with a less conventional approach to design including suspended lighting and recessed features.

What people say about our yachts

Yachting can bring together the most important things in life – family, friends and love

Owner, Baltic 175 Pink Gin

For me, Baltic means a fantastic team of people that is challenging itself all the time in order to build more advanced, more sophisticated, faster and lighter "high performance" yachts than any other yacht builder. They never say no as an answer, they come up with solutions!

Owner, Baltic 112 Nilaya

When I was making my choice of builder, I concluded that the Baltic 67 had been far better thought through than similar yachts. A key requirement for my new yacht was high quality of build.

Owner, Baltic 67 Manyeleti

RIGS AND KEELS

WHEN IT COMES TO RIG AND KEEL DESIGN WE OFFER GENUINE VERSATILITY

Fixed keels The Baltic 67PC can be fitted with a deep draft fixed keel drawing 3.9m or a shallow draft fixed keel drawing 3.3m. Both feature 9-ton lead ballast bulbs suspended from stainless steel fins bolted to the heavily reinforced composite hull matrix. Fixed keel yachts will be fitted with a single balanced rudder with a sacrificial tip.

Telescopic lifting keels Baltic Yachts has perfected the design of hydraulically-driven telescopic lifting keels. This option reduces draft to 2.50m when the keel is fully up. To take full advantage of the reduced draft the yacht is fitted with shorter twin rudders, which also provide enhanced response under sail.

Rig options The standard sailplan has a ‘pinhead’ main. This option provides a slightly smaller main with minimal loss of performance. The advantage is that just a single, fixed backstay set on a bridle is required making the sail easy to handle. With less roach the main won’t foul the stay. Asymmetric and Code sails are tacked to the stemhead and an arrangement for an inner forestay enables a storm headsail to be set.

The slightly larger ‘square-top’ mainsail provides approximately 8m2 of extra plain sail. Off the wind on long passages this could have a bearing on elapsed ocean crossing times. The rig is slightly more complex because twin running backstays are required. The short fixed bowsprit option allows slightly larger running sails to be set clear of the stemhead, which also makes gybing easier. Both versions have arrangements for an inner forestay for a smaller heavy weather sail with checkstays to counteract the load.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS YACHT?

Discover all the unique details of this yacht and learn how we pushed the boundaries of design and engineering.

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

BALTIC 67-02 PC ARRIVING TO JAKOBSTAD

LAUNCH VIDEO

We’re constantly updating our website to bring you news of launchings, new commissions and Baltic inspired innovation.

Half a century at the cutting edge

Fifty years ago in Finland five young men shared a controversial idea and an ambitious plan. They quit their jobs at Nautor and set out to create a new style of offshore cruiser racer – lighter, stiffer and faster than almost anything else on the market.

‘We just got together one day and the idea came up,’ says Per-Göran “PG” Johansson, one of the five founding fathers of Baltic Yachts back then and still one of its directors today. ‘We were not alone thinking “light is better” but most boatyards and naval architects favoured heavier designs. Some of our competitors published studies for marketing purposes arguing that heavy was better. One of their claims was “heavy does not stop in waves due to the inertia of the mass”. Another was “the client gets more kilos for his money”. We remained convinced and carried on with our lightweight, hi-tech way.’

History soon proved Johansson and his colleagues to be absolutely correct and the company they founded became a world leader in the production of large, high-performance sailing yachts.

Before any of it could happen, first they had to clear a patch of pine forest at Bosund near Jakobstad and build a shed in which to do it.

Still in use as a joinery workshop, that first shed is finally about to be decommissioned along with the whole facility that grew up around it. This year, Baltic Yachts is moving all operations to Jakobstad where a new state-of-the-art building will more than double the size of its existing waterfront location.

There’s a world of difference between the series-produced Baltics of the 1970s and the full-custom superyachts that have become the yard’s primary focus alongside its ongoing small-series, semi-custom production.

However, from the first Baltic 46 Diva (now Queen Anne) all the way to its current projects via some of the most advanced sailing yachts in each of the last three decades, the core DNA is arguably unchanged.

‘Baltic Yachts is still very much true to its original values,’ Johansson says. ‘We started as a series production yard but with more flexibility built in than most competitors, using hi-tech methods to achieve better sailing performance and handling characteristics. With time we moved over more and more to full custom projects, which required changes in our approach.

‘The projects became more individual in concept, in styling and in materials and methods used.

In that process you lose some of the things that originally earned your company its reputation. However, even our cruising projects have been very hi-tech and in that sense they’ve followed our original philosophy, “lighter is faster and better”. Some of the high-performance projects challenged us to take technology much further, increasing our know-how and potential.’

Eagerness to embrace technology prompted the founding of Baltic Yachts in the first place. Johansson was project manager of the Swan 65 when he tried and failed to convince his managers that it could be built lighter, stiffer and better using sandwich construction with unidirectional fibres instead of a single laminate with woven rovings.

The five who left Nautor – boatbuilders Jan-Erik Nyfelt and Nils Luoma, purchasing manager Ingmar Sundelin, designer Tor Hinders and Johansson – became the nucleus of Baltic Yachts.

Baltic Yachts – major milestone boats 1974-2022

1974 Baltic 46 Ahead of its time: tank tests, sandwich construction, unidirectional fibres, balanced spade rudder, epoxy bonded teak deck…

1977 Baltic 39 Most popular model, 74 in six years. From 1980, one of the first yachts to have computer-generated VPP

1979 Baltic 51 Notable for interior design innovations. First double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit, slanted bulkheads for optimal use of space

1982 Baltic 80 Midnight Sun Baltic Yachts’ first maxi racer and one of the first maxis with full glassfibre composite construction.

1985 Baltic 43 Bully The first offshore sailing yacht in the world built entirely with epoxy resin

1996 Baltic 67 Aledoa The first cruising yacht built entirely in pre-preg carbon

1996 Baltic 87 Anny First Baltic with a lifting keel, complex hydraulics and push-button sail controls

1997 Baltic 70 Vittfarne First Baltic yacht to combine classic appearance with hitech construction and modern hydrodynamics

1997 Baltic 70 Loftfari The first yacht with a fully fitted interior built entirely in pre-preg carbon and Nomex honeycomb, all invisible under the teak veneer finish

Baltic 78 Super Baltic 5 Canting keel with its entire mechanism under the cabin sole; 3.5kts faster than the same yacht with a fixed keel

2002 Baltic 147 Visione The first superyacht capable of planing at 30 knots. Packed with unique innovations, ultra-light displacement (105T) and almost literally no expense spared

2003 Baltic 141 Canica A very complex build and fitout with hi-tech materials, construction techniques and systems. The first Baltic ‘super cruiser’

2011 Baltic 197 Hetairos Largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world at 221ft LOA. Classic look, superb finish. Hi-tech build and hydrodynamics

Baltic 175 Pink Gin The largest full carbon sloop in the world to date. Unique fold-down, through-hull platforms in the saloon and owner’s suite

2019 Baltic 142 Canova First DSS foil on an ocean cruising superyacht. First hybrid drive with full regeneration. Advanced composite engineering. A giant leap into the future

2022 Baltic 68 Pink Gin Verde First Baltic yacht built with 50% flax fibre. Advanced electric/hybrid propulsion, super efficient systems

‘They had a strong belief in themselves, courage to swim upstream and test new ideas,’ Baltic Yachts’ marketing manager Elisabet Holm explains. ‘They all had a passion for boats, a strong driving force to learn new things and research technology, and they were always ready to meet new challenges.’

The original Baltic 46 was far ahead of its time. At a time when nearly all new designs simply relied on the naval architect’s eye, experience and intuition, several different hull models were tank tested across a range of speeds, at various heel and leeway angles before the design of the 46 was finalised and only then was it built. It had a balanced spade rudder and solid rod rigging, which were then used only on hi-tech racing yachts and its teak deck was laid with epoxy resin. But the hull laminate itself was the key innovation.

‘In those days most yards building larger yachts used woven rovings with fibres bent, not straight, hence not structurally optimal and they also resulted in resin concentration,’ Johasson explains.

‘You could see the roving patterns on the surface, due to resin shrinking, so before applying the rovings they used several layers of chopped mat, which has very low structural value, especially on larger yachts, but added a lot of weight.

‘We used a very thin surface cloth and the rest of the laminate was unidirectional fibres, oriented in the direction of the stresses and perfectly straight, hence stronger and stiffer.

‘The fibres we used did not create resin concentration so there was less print-through on the hull surface. Unidirectional does not build up thickness like woven rovings so we used them with a core material in sandwich construction. This achieved much higher panel stiffness than a single laminate and gave us more flexibility for panel sizes.’

End grain balsa was the core for the 46 but Baltic soon switched to foam cores with a variety of densities and strengths. Carbon fibre was used from 1979, initially in rudder posts, beam tops and to reinforce high-stress areas of the hull where extra stiffness was needed. As stabilised foams for high-temperature cures and then Nomex for pre-preg carbon construction became available, Baltic pioneered the use of those materials.

Baltic Yachts’ early achievements belie the fact that it faced strong headwinds right from the start. 1973 was a bad year to launch a new brand of sailing yachts, with the global oil crisis looming.

The yachting industry as a whole was hit hard and by 1977 Baltic had to seek outside investment to stay in business. Ironically that same year saw their first major commercial success, selling 12 Baltic 39s at the Hamburg Boat Show, which was unheard of at the time.

Hollming, a Finnish shipbuilder, acquired Baltic. Two of the founders, Nils Luoma and Ingmar Sundelin, quit but the takeover turned out to be a positive move. Hollming provided stability and investment to help Baltic grow. A huge production hall was built, funds were provided for new model development and marketing.

An unusual aspect of Baltic Yachts that undoubtedly worked in its favour was the dual role of Johansson. It’s rare that the technical guru of a major boatbuilder is also its head of sales and marketing, yet he combined both jobs with great success for 40 years.

Even now, though officially retired, he still frequently offers a guiding hand in the development of new projects and the current EVP, Henry Hawkins, describes him as ‘an unbelievably useful sounding board and wise head’.

Baltic’s in-house designer Tor Hinders made his mark by changing the way boats are fitted out down below. His stand-out innovation, which was met with hostility when introduced in 1979 on the Baltic 51 but has since been copied by almost every sailing yacht builder in the world, was to put a double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit.

Another key factor in Baltic Yachts’ early success was its partnership with the Canadian naval architects C&C Design, whose chief engineer Rob Ball was among the first in the industry to start using computers. From 1980 he supplied VPP – polar curves and tables of numbers – for the Baltic 39, 51 and 37, with detailed instructions on how to use them. Despite being generated by 2D computing (as 3D models were not yet available), Johansson says those first VPP numbers were accurate and useful.

The yard was quick to develop its own computing expertise. ‘As soon as programmable calculators and then the Epson HX-20 computer became available we saw their potential and started to use them,’ Johansson says. ‘There was no software so we did our own coding.’ By the early 1980s they were already using these tools for displacement, flotation and trim calculations, laminate design and rating optimisation.

A huge quantity of data has been compiled since then and the initially simple programs have evolved into a sophisticated suite of software that enables the technical team to make extremely detailed weight and load calculations for the hull and rig of any new design, study engine power, prop pitch and range for electric and conventional propulsion systems, and much more. The yard has never had any ambition to design its own yachts, but is quite often asked by clients to do preliminary studies before a naval architect is appointed.

The 1980s were the peak of series production but Baltic Yachts but they also began pushing the boundaries of performance with custom builds with more scope for creative technical development.

‘A series production model is always to some degree a compromise,’ Johansson says. ‘On custom projects you can take things much further. For very knowledgeable clients looking for performance we have taken things to the edge.’

The 80ft Midnight Sun was one of the first maxis with full composite construction, launched in 1982. ‘The forward part was a large, empty sail store and we used specially designed longitudinal bulkheads and framework in the upper corner between hull and deck to create the required stiffness,’ Johansson recalls.

The Baltic 43 Bully was the first offshore yacht built entirely in epoxy resin, in 1985. In technical terms this was a spin-off from an earlier R&D project, developing ultra-strong vacuum-infused sandwich laminates for a Soviet deep-sea submarine, which ruffled diplomatic feathers when the Americans found out about it. ‘The main unit was solid steel; we built a streamlined cover around the equipment,’ he says. ‘If you send a normal laminate down to 6,000m it will not be the same afterwards. We learned a few things from that project.’

In 1990, Baltic regained its independence. Finland’s industrial sector was in recession and Hollming needed to focus on its core business. ‘They asked us to arrange a management takeover,’ Johansson explains. ‘The yard was an important workplace for the local community and to shut it would have been very destructive. We were 32 employees who got together, took over and continued the business.’

Marketing manager Lisbeth Staffans stepped up to be managing director and led Baltic Yachts for two decades from a challenging start. ‘With a bad order book and uncertain future there were sleepless nights at the beginning of this new era,’ Johansson says. ‘Lisbeth was a very good person for that job. We couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and she made sure we didn’t. But this period is the one I’m most proud of. We did a good job, moved up in the size of our projects and stayed profitable.’

Innovation continued apace with production manager Christer Lill running a remarkably tight operation as the yachts ramped up rapidly in sophistication and size. In 1996 they launched 67ft Aledoa, the world’s first pre-preg carbon cruiser, and 87ft Anny – their first with a lifting keel, twin rudders and complex hydraulics. She had full push-button sail controls and a tender could be driven straight into the automatic opening-andlowering garage in her stern.

The following year, the Baltic 70 Vittfarne heralded a new style of yacht combining classic appearance and fine traditional craftsmanship with hitech construction, light displacement and modern hydrodynamics. ‘Bill Dixon’s team did a fantastic job on the design and our carpenters performed magic in building it,’ Johansson says.

Another Baltic 70, also launched in 1997, took carbon composite sandwich construction to a new level. The fully fitted interior of Loftfari was built almost entirely in pre-preg carbon/ Nomex honeycomb as well as her hull and deck, saving a large amount of additional weight.

It looked traditional, though, with thin veneers and fillets of teak covering all of the composite surfaces. Most Baltic yachts are now fitted out in a similar way.

The 78ft Super Baltic 5, delivered in 2000, was a major feat of engineering with a canting keel whose entire mechanism was installed in the shallow bilge beneath the saloon sole. She was calculated to be at least 3.5kts faster than an identical yacht with a fixed keel.

At the turn of the millennium Loftfari’s owner came back to Baltic with an impossible design brief, ‘or so it seemed at first,’ Johansson says. ‘To build a yacht in excess of 140ft capable of planing at 30 knots or more.’

The project was an immense challenge, not least because their largest build up to then was a 97- footer. Two years of development work followed before the owner gave the green light for the build to proceed. Remarkably the yacht was delivered six months ahead of schedule and exceeded all expectations.

Packed with unique innovations and with almost literally no expense spared, the Baltic 147 Visione was far ahead of her time and despite being 20 years old she is still quite capable of taking line honours in superyacht regattas today.

In build at the same time, the 141ft Canica challenged the yard in different ways. Performance was key but a lot of equipment and systems were also required to ensure a very high level of comfort on board. ‘That was the first yacht we built with a full floating interior,’ Baltic sales director Kenneth Nyfelt, son of founder Jan- Erik, explains.

‘We installed a highly complex Siemens PLC monitoring and control system, and it was the first project where we used noise and vibration consultants.’ With half the displacement of a typical 140ft cruising yacht, the performance targets were achieved and Canica can now be regarded as the first in a gradually evolving style of high-performance Baltic ‘super cruisers’ that continues to this day. A similar and parallel evolution of successful cruiser-racers began with Nilaya in 2010.

A stand-out project delivered in 2011, at 221ft LOA the Baltic 197 Hetairos is largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing with an incredible sail area : displacement ratio and a regular winner in superyacht regattas, the 60-metre ketch is classic on deck but thoroughly modern below the waterline with a unique lifting rudder as well as a lifting keel.

Around this time, the people who had staged the 1990 management takeover began to retire so new owners were needed. Two local investors bought shares in 2010; three years later an 80 per cent stake in Baltic Yachts was acquired by the German family-owned company Otto Bock – led by Professor Hans Georg Näder, a longstanding client of Baltic Yachts – and its future was secured. Henry Hawkins, a yacht captain with vast practical experience including many thousands of ocean miles as skipper of Näder’s yachts, joined Baltic, taking on a large part of Johansson’s role.

Näder’s own 175ft Pink Gin VI is one of the most notable recent builds and currently the world’s largest carbon composite sloop with a rig 16m taller than a J Class. Her key features include fold-down platforms in her topsides just above the waterline that are large enough to walk through, one amidships in the main saloon and one forward in the owner’s suite.

While relatively easy to build on a large motor yacht, putting large apertures in highly stressed parts of a sailing yacht hull without reducing its stiffness was a major engineering challenge, solved by mechanically locking the platforms firmly in place to become structural parts of the hull.

Another recent showcase of Baltic’s innovation is the 142ft Canova, which made headlines in 2019 as the world’s first superyacht with a DSS foil to reduce pitching and heeling, plus a host of other advanced features such as an immensely strong coachroof with a featherlight look and an electric drive system that provides enough regeneration capability under sail to cross the Atlantic without using any fossil fuel – with both sailing and hotel systems running.

After four years of cruising, a wide range of what used to be bleeding-edge technologies are now proven to work reliably.

To mark Baltic Yachts’ 50th anniversary, the first Baltic 46 Queen Anne returned to the yard last spring for a refit. Two of the men who built her – Johansson and Jan-Erik Nyfelt, whose grandchildren now work at Baltic – were delighted to find her in excellent condition, which a survey duly confirmed.

‘No structural works are needed, the hull appendages are sound, as is the mast,’ Hawkins says. ‘It’s also interesting that the original propulsion setup was still operational and in good order. The enjoyment at our end was the size of everything compared to today, from fibre technology to deck fittings. There are 18 winches on that boat; a modern 100-footer uses just seven or eight!’ She will be relaunched in June after a cosmetic refit, with a new engine.

What direction is Baltic Yachts likely to take in the future? The 68ft cruiser-racer Pink Gin Verde might hold a few clues with its 50 per cent flax fibre hull and micro-turbine hybrid propulsion system, but as Baltic’s CEO Anders Kurtén puts it, ‘That all depends on where our customers want to take us.’

‘We are fortunate and honoured to build some of the most exciting, groundbreaking custom sailing yachts in the world which means the next major milestone will forever be the next launch, summer 2023 being a perfect example,’ he says. ‘My best guess for the future is ever increasing sustainable practices and yachts with diminishing lifecycle emissions, as well as quantum leaps in terms of pure sailing performance.’

Click here for more information on Baltic Yachts

Russia launches Baltic naval drills, ratcheting up tensions with European neighbors

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Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it began live-fire naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, ratcheting up tensions with nearby European nations that are already high over NATO and Ukraine .

Russia last carried out mass military exercises in the Baltic Sea in June, two months after Finland became NATO’s newest member . The drills took place at the same time NATO was holding its own Baltic Sea exercises.

The Russian exercises announced Wednesday will involve more personnel and aircraft than the last round and will feature the use of live weapons.

World & Nation

NATO warns that Russian forces should not be underestimated and increases its readiness

NATO chief says Russia’s military shouldn’t be underestimated and the alliance has increased its readiness to confront Russia in recent days

June 27, 2023

The Russian defense ministry said the navy’s commander in chief, Adm. Nikolai Evmenov, will oversee the drills, which were designed to test “the navy’s readiness to protect the national interests of the Russian Federation in an operationally important area.”

The Ocean Shield-2023 exercises will involve forces practicing how to “protect sea lanes, transport troops and military cargo, as well as defend the coastline,” the ministry said. More than 200 combat exercises will involve some 6,000 personnel, 30 warships and boats and 30 aircraft, it added.

Super spy or paper pusher? How Putin’s KGB years in East Germany helped shape him

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s KGB years in East Germany offer a window into his crackdown on protests, war on Ukraine and yearning for empire.

June 15, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long railed against NATO and has tried to limit the Western military alliance’s expansion, especially to countries which used to be part of the Soviet Union. The Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined NATO in 2004.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden both applied to join NATO. Finland, which has a Baltic coast, became the 31st member in April, more than doubling Russia’s land border with NATO.

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• Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

Moscow: question for those who have gone from St Petersburg

By Wayfairers , August 22, 2019 in Northern Europe & Baltic Sea

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I have read many of the threads that discuss whether or not Moscow is worth the expense and long day, especially when there are only 2 days in port.  I realize there are two strong opinions from people with one side saying it is worth it and the other side says stay in St Petersburg. We have decided to go Moscow on day 1 of our visit. 

So, those who have done the long trip to Moscow....did you go with the cruise ship or a private guide?   If a private guide, who and would you recommend them?  Did you take the train both ways or fly one direction?  

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On 8/22/2019 at 9:28 AM, Wayfairers said: I have read many of the threads that discuss whether or not Moscow is worth the expense and long day, especially when there are only 2 days in port.  I realize there are two strong opinions from people with one side saying it is worth it and the other side says stay in St Petersburg. We have decided to go Moscow on day 1 of our visit.    So, those who have done the long trip to Moscow....did you go with the cruise ship or a private guide?   If a private guide, who and would you recommend them?  Did you take the train both ways or fly one direction?  

Been to Moscow several times. We have used the Sapsan both ways and have also flown both ways - never a combo of the train/plane. We enjoyed the Sapsan more than the flight. We have NOT travelled to Moscow when arriving by cruise ship so have no comment on your particular situation regarding a one day tour with only 2 days in St. Pete.  Good luck - hope the visit meets your expectations.

Thanks for the info.  Good to know you enjoyed the train more than the plane - I would expect we would too as flying is typically more hassle than taking the train.  

We decided to book the trip to Moscow with the cruise ship after learning that if we miss the train or plane we don’t get a refund in addition to missing Moscow.  And, I’ve had friends who’s ship missed the St Petersburg stop due to weather.

Moscow is a great city but I would rather spend all two days in St Petersburg. Some years ago we had almost a week there and still it doesn’t seem enough. We also had one day in Moscow and the journey arranged by the local travel agency was well organized and comfortable. In a view of time restrictions of the journey (we spent almost 8 hours on the train and just 6-7 hours in the city) one day in Moscow still felt a little rushed. Anyway, enjoy planning your trip and hope you have a great time in Russia!

Just make sure the day you are going to Moscow, it is not one of their holidays or even a day before a holiday.

Moscow is an amazing city but it is frustrating when Red Square is closed for parades, etc.... It is hard to determine when they close it but it is definitely closed for their holidays. When it is closed - you can only walk around the exterior of the square and look in.

Thanks!   I will check.  We are in Moscow May 16.  I know May 9 is a holiday. 

AngelDisney

I have 2 days in St. Petersburg and am thinking about this possibility. I think it’s hard to do this with 2 days. The first day will take longer time to go ashore because of the immigration process. The second day is not possible due to the early all abroad time. It seems that it’s only worth doing it if there are 3 days in St. Petersburg especially when a full day of touring in Moscow is preferred. 

1 hour ago, AngelDisney said: I have 2 days in St. Petersburg and am thinking about this possibility. I think it’s hard to do this with 2 days. The first day will take longer time to go ashore because of the immigration process. The second day is not possible due to the early all abroad time. It seems that it’s only worth doing it if there are 3 days in St. Petersburg especially when a full day of touring in Moscow is preferred. 

For 2 days - spend the time in St. Petersburg. There is so much to see there. Save this for a 2nd trip.

When we were in St. Petersburg we were also very interested in visiting Moscow. We were already in Russia why not visit as much places as we could, right? We used Anastasia Travel for our St. Petersburg tour and also asked them to include Moscow. They were very helpful and were very much willing to arrange a day trip to Moscow for us but they suggested we just stay in St. Petersburg since we only had 2 days. They were kind enough to explain that we would just waste time and money if me push through with the Moscow trip. We would spend more time on the train instead of using the time to explore and enjoy the sights. They were actually correct and we ended up enjoying a wonderful 2-day tour in St. Petersburg. I guess we'll have to go back to see Moscow and make sure to stay longer! 

angie7911922

When we went to St Petersburg we had the same dilemma. We decided not to go to Moscow and didn’t regret it one bit. There is so much to see! If you spend the 2 days in St Petersburg you can go and see Peterhof Palace on one of the days. We were on a Princess cruise and like flowslow, we booked our private tours with Katharina from Anastasia Travel.   This way we used our time to the fullest to see as much as possible at our pace with a personal guide. (We are not fond of the big group tours from the cruise lines).

9 hours ago, angie7911922 said: When we went to St Petersburg we had the same dilemma. We decided not to go to Moscow and didn’t regret it one bit. There is so much to see! If you spend the 2 days in St Petersburg you can go and see Peterhof Palace on one of the days. We were on a Princess cruise and like flowslow, we booked our private tours with Katharina from Anastasia Travel.   This way we used our time to the fullest to see as much as possible at our pace with a personal guide. (We are not fond of the big group tours from the cruise lines).

We have two days and decided only staying in SPB for both days. We are thinking of forming a private tour with other cruisers on another forum as the CC roll call for that cruise is so quiet. We are looking into Anastasia Travel as well. Very excited to go!

On 9/1/2019 at 8:09 PM, AngelDisney said: We have two days and decided only staying in SPB for both days. We are thinking of forming a private tour with other cruisers on another forum as the CC roll call for that cruise is so quiet. We are looking into Anastasia Travel as well. Very excited to go!

Great idea to form a small group!! Have a fantastic time and I am sure you wont regret that decision!! 

luvtravel88

I'm not sure about customs when coming in on a cruise ship. We were told that if we wanted to leave the ship, we would have to be on a tour, either a ships tour or private tour. I know we had to show our tour tickets at customs to be allowed to go further. We chose Alla tours and they were fantastic. We were docked in St. Petersburg for 3 days and we did go to Moscow on the Capsan train on the 2nd day. It was a VERY long day. We had to meet our group at 6:00am and were on the train at 7:00am. We arrived back at to our cabin at 1:30am the next day. It was a wonderful day and we're so glad we went but if we were in St. Petersburg for only 2 days, I probably wouldn't spend a day in Moscow. It is a 4 hour train ride each way, and if you need to be back to the ship to depart, it may not leave you much time in Moscow. The 8 hours we spent there, wasn't nearly enough. Traffic is horrible and we ended up getting off our bus and taking the subway to Red Square. Those 8 hours allowed us a tour of Red Square, which was phenomenal as well as a quick walk through GUM department store and a ride on the subway with several stops to see the mosaics, sculptures and chandeliers that are in the corridors of the subway stops.

But.....there is so much to see in St. Petersburg , the 2 days we spent there, were a whirl.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure you're in line to get off the ship before the ship arrives in port. We were in line an hour early and there were still about 20 people ahead of us. We found that the cruise ship allowed their tour groups to get off the ship first, so when we got to customs, the lines were outrageous. It took us about an hour in line and we were late starting our tour. I had organized the tour with Alla and had advertised it on our cruise forum here at Cruise Critic. There were 12 of us and we met up on the ship each morning and went through customs together so we all met the tour bus at the same time. That was very helpful!

The lines the first day were the worst and days 2 and 3 went much more quickly. Also, everyone was getting off the ship at the same time on Day 1, but tours met and left at different times on Days 2 and 3.

16 minutes ago, luvtravel88 said: . Whatever you decide to do, be sure you're in line to get off the ship before the ship arrives in port. We were in line an hour early and there were still about 20 people ahead of us. We found that the cruise ship allowed their tour groups to get off the ship first, so when we got to customs, the lines were outrageous. It took us about an hour in line and we were late starting our tour. ! The lines the first day were the worst and days 2 and 3 went much more quickly. Also, everyone was getting off the ship at the same time on Day 1, but tours met and left at different times on Days 2 and 3.

This is one of the reasons that we decided to use the cruise ship to go to Moscow our first day in St Petersburg. 

25 minutes ago, Wayfairers said: This is one of the reasons that we decided to use the cruise ship to go to Moscow our first day in St Petersburg. 

I believe that the ship tours to Moscow go via air, right?

Yes, as others have noted, there is MUCH to see in Saint Petersburg and in spending a week there one will barely scratch the surface - the same is true for Moscow.

It sounds like you want to get a "taste" of both cities - don't allow anyone to "throw water" on your plans as you best know what you want to do. You can always return for an extended visit.  😉

4 hours ago, dogs4fun said: I believe that the ship tours to Moscow go via air, right? Yes, as others have noted, there is MUCH to see in Saint Petersburg and in spending a week there one will barely scratch the surface - the same is true for Moscow. It sounds like you want to get a "taste" of both cities - don't allow anyone to "throw water" on your plans as you best know what you want to do. You can always return for an extended visit.  😉

No, our ship tour is going by train there and back unless I misread something.  You are right...we just want a taste of both cities.  In fact, that is what we get from all cruise port stops - just a taste.  We are never there long enough to the see the area completely.

2 hours ago, Wayfairers said: No, our ship tour is going by train there and back unless I misread something.  

Interesting - I thought that the ship tours flew to Moscow when in port for only 2 days. Hope you will post upon return and let us know how it went.

16 hours ago, dogs4fun said: Interesting - I thought that the ship tours flew to Moscow when in port for only 2 days. Hope you will post upon return and let us know how it went.

Double checked and it says we go to Moscow on the high speed train.   Come back the same way.   From all I’ve read it takes a little longer (ship to Moscow sites) to fly than to take the train.  

I've been thinking about that - and I might be wrong, but it seems to me an SPB-Moscow combo over a 3-day cruise is one of the few remaining cases where obtaining a full-fledged Russian visa actually makes sense (especially for families/groups and especially if one is willing to do some DIY trip planning). 

Just to make sure, though - for those staying on the ship, is there some kind of curfew, or are you able to come and go as you please?

4 minutes ago, napoxoguk said: I've been thinking about that - and I might be wrong, but it seems to me an SPB-Moscow combo over a 3-day cruise is one of the few remaining cases where obtaining a full-fledged Russian visa actually makes sense (especially for families/groups and especially if one is willing to do some DIY trip planning).    Just to make sure, though - for those staying on the ship, is there some kind of curfew, or are you able to come and go as you please?  

If you have a Russian visa there is no curfew - you may come and go as you wish. In fact, if you so choose, you can spend the entire time in the city (staying at a hotel in either Moscow or St. Petersburg) rather than returning to your ship each evening - but ONLY if you have a visa.

6 minutes ago, dogs4fun said: If you have a Russian visa there is no curfew - you may come and go as you wish. In fact, if you so choose, you can spend the entire time in the city (staying at a hotel in either Moscow or St. Petersburg) rather than returning to your ship each evening - but ONLY if you have a visa.

That is what my research shows too.  A quick google search showed the tourist visas for US citizens are $160.  I’m willing to pay for a tour rather than get the visa.  We’ve gotten most of the visas that are a pain to get and I’m tired of doing that. 

2 minutes ago, Wayfairers said: I’m willing to pay for a tour rather than get the visa

I understand. Ru visa process can be expensive and time consuming, especially if you live far away from one of the visa centers.

I'm just trying to come up with a reasonably conservative number - what can one realistically expect to pay for a mad 1-day Moscow dash if they go DIY.

For a regular SPB-only itinerary, visa doesn't seem to make sense - not only price-wise, but also from the standpoint of convenience - all the local operators have their itineraries down to a science.

With Moscow, though, it's not so clear-cut.

I found that most of the tour operators will give you a tour but no guarantee that you make it to Moscow because you will miss the train if debarkation is too slow.  I found one tour that offers a 2 day tour with a flight to Moscow day 1 and train back and St Petersburg day 2.   Seriously considered them.   I briefly thought about getting a visa and spending the night in Moscow but never priced everything out. If you look into that I would love to see what you find. Probably not for us though because I want to see some of both cities.  

2 hours ago, napoxoguk said: I understand. Ru visa process can be expensive and time consuming, especially if you live far away from one of the visa centers. I'm just trying to come up with a reasonably conservative number - what can one realistically expect to pay for a mad 1-day Moscow dash if they go DIY.

I have visited Russia multiple times. I received my latest 3 year visa in May and here are the associated costs:

Single/Double/Multiple entry visa, consular fee = $198

Visa Center Processing fee = $50

Total = $248   (this is your total if you apply in person at one of the 4 consulates located in the USA - since I don't live near a Russian consulate, I must use the more costly mail option)

SO ... here is what I actually paid:

Multiple entry visa, consular fee = $198

Visa Center Processing fee by mail = $120

Return shipping/handling fee = $35

Total = $353

Totally worth the fee as I spend multiple weeks in Russia yearly and prefer DIY - personally, I would not consider a visa if it was a one time visit via cruise.

So, for DIY, added to the visa expense, one must add the cost of the sapsan train (or flight), Moscow transportation (metro is great), food & associated entrance fees to the Kremlin (and whatever else one has the time/desire to visit).

FYI: There is a HOHO in both Moscow & St. Petersburg.

Okay, I think the diy budget might be something like ₽20,000 (about $300) per person. This includes:

Train tickets: ₽9000 (5+4); Kremlin+armory: 1700 (1000+700)

Boat ride:600

Meals: 3000 (1500 per casual meal)

Contingencies (Uber ride if needed, etc): 2500. 

It's based on a number of assumptions, so real-life mileage will vary - please let me know if you identify some glaring omissions or errors.

Assumptions:

Done on day 2 of three.

Good weather (lots of outside/walking time)

Earliest Sapsan to Moscow, overnight double decker from Moscow (no hotel stays)

Train tickets purchased at least 30 days in advance, economy for Sapsan and economy plus for the double decker (includes a bottle of water and a piece of gingerbread).

All group members are adults

Done on a day when the Kremlin, Red Sq, and other Moscow attractions are actually open.

Boat ride via watertrams-radisson.ru (the cheapest option with English audio guide)

Sample itinerary:

leave SPB on Sapsan 743a (5:30am), sleep on the train.

Arrive Moscow 9am

DIY Metro tour until 11am

Kremlin excursion (cathedral Sq, DIY) 11:30

Armory excursion (audioguide) 12:30 

Quick lunch (at GUM stolovaya or fast food chains at Manezhnaya sq) : 2 to 3pm.

Walk to Zaryadye boat pier via Alexander's garden, Red Sq, Zaryadye. Boats leave every 30 minutes. Route: Zaryadye- Gorky Park - luzhniki- Ukraina - turnaround - sparrow hills - Gorky Park. Time on board: 2 hrs. 

Gorky Park/muzeon (5:30 to 7:30). 

Head back (metro) towards red sq for evening walk/dinner (tverskaya-kamergersky-b.dmitrovka-metropol-nikolskaya area)

Need to be back at the train station by 10:30 to catch the 006aa train departing at 10:50. 

Back to SPB at 6:47 am.

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Baltic countries notify Russia and Belarus they will exit the Moscow-controlled electricity grid

FILE - From left, then-Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte attend a joint news conference during their meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The electricity grid operators of the three Baltic countries on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, officially notified Russia and Belarus that they will exit a 2001 agreement that has kept Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania connected to an electricity transmission system controlled by Moscow. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Pavel Golovkin]

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The electricity grid operators of the three Baltic countries on Tuesday officially notified Russia and Belarus that they will exit a 2001 agreement that has kept Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania connected to an electricity transmission system controlled by Moscow.

The Baltic countries have already stopped buying electricity from Russia. And in a plan announced last year as part of moves to sever ties with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine, they will shift their grid connections next February to the main continental European energy network in a move to end reliance.

Utility operators Elering of Estonia, AST of Latvia and Litgrid of Lithuania said that the exit notice was signed in the Latvian capital of Riga on Tuesday. The joint agreement with Moscow and Minsk will end Feb. 7, and the Baltic systems will be disconnected from the grid the next day.

“We will disconnect and dismantle the last physical connections with Russian and Belarusian grids,” Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis said, calling the move an “ambitious energy independence project.”

The three former Soviet republics do not currently buy electricity from Russia, but remain physically connected to a grid in which the electricity frequency is controlled by Moscow under the 2001 BRELL agreement. The Baltic systems plan to synchronize with the continental European system on Feb. 9, 2025. Both systems use 50 Hz alternating current.

“Synchronization with Continental Europe Synchronous Area will allow for independent, stable and reliable frequency control of the Baltic states electricity grids and will increase energy security in the region,” Estonia’s grid operator Elering said.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland agreed with the European Union’s executive commission in 2019 to coordinate on connecting the Baltic nations to the EU’s power network by the end of 2025. However, Russia’s war in Ukraine led the Baltic countries to speed up the project.

The February 2025 date for the transition was a compromise. Lithuania wanted an energy exit as early as this year, citing Moscow’s unreliability and its aggression in Ukraine. Estonia resisted a quicker cutoff, saying it might experience blackouts if the transition happened too soon.

“The Baltic electricity market has adapted and operates without electricity import from Russia,” said chairman Rolands Irklis from Latvia’s AST.

“Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Latvia has completely stopped electricity import and export from Russia and Belarus, and synchronization with continental Europe is the last step to achieve country’s independence in the field of electricity supply,” Irklis said.

There was no immediate response from Russia’s Energy Ministry to a request by The Associated Press for comment.

Jari Tanner reported from Helsinki.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Baltic countries notify Russia and Belarus they will exit the Moscow-controlled electricity grid

Associated Press

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The electricity grid operators of the three Baltic countries on Tuesday officially notified Russia and Belarus that they will exit a 2001 agreement that has kept Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania connected to an electricity transmission system controlled by Moscow. The Baltic countries already have stopped buying electricity from Russia, and in line with a plan announced last year following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, they will shift their grid connections next February to the main continental European energy network. Utility operators Elering of Estonia, AST of Latvia and Litgrid of Lithuania said jointly that the exit notice was signed in the Latvian capital of Riga on Tuesday. The joint agreement with Moscow and Minsk will end on Feb. 7.

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Russia moves to extend its maritime borders, angering Baltic Sea nations

Russia unveiled a bill on Tuesday that would redefine its maritime borders in the Baltic Sea, causing an outcry among Baltic and other northern European countries and fueling geopolitical tensions.

Issued on: 23/05/2024 - 19:48

According to a draft Russian defence ministry resolution published on Tuesday, Moscow plans to extend its territorial waters by changing its maritime borders with Finland and Lithuania in the Baltic Sea from January 2025. The redefined coordinates would see Moscow declaring Finnish and Lithuanian areas of the sea as Russian.

“This is an obvious escalation of tensions against NATO and the European Union that requires an appropriate firm response,” wrote Lithuania 's foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, on X.

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“Russia cannot unilaterally change its borders in this way,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the TT news agency this week. Estonia and Finland echoed these sentiments.

Russia’s motives for the move remain unclear. The text of the bill was posted on the official website of the Registry of Laws on May 21 and subsequently removed.

Tactical retreat?

But Moscow denies that it had a change of heart. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Russia’s defence ministry is simply working to “clarify” the border.

“A similar text relating to the Arctic Sea had also been put aside for years by Russia, before suddenly reappearing before the Duma in 2021,” points out Pierre Thévenin, a specialist in maritime law and the Arctic and Baltic regions at the University of Tartu in Estonia.

“In the absence of the text, it is difficult to know Russia's intentions but the legal context in this maritime region with regard to Russian regulations dates back to 1985,” points out Lauri Mälksoo, a specialist in the history of Soviet and international law at the same university.

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Russia may be intending to clarify the legacy left by the Soviet Union . After the breakup of the USSR, maritime borders in the Baltic Sea became somewhat blurred. The maritime boundary between Russia and Estonia, for example, remains unresolved. “There was a treaty between the two countries in 2014 but it still hasn't been ratified by Russia,” notes Mälksoo.

It starts with the baseline

The Baltic Sea region does, indeed, have grey areas in need of clarification, and Moscow may be looking to capitalise on this with its controversial bill. Russian authorities say their intention is simply to update maritime borders that are currently based on geographical data that are too old to be reliable.

But Moscow seems intent on redrawing part of what is known as the baseline, the contours of a nation’s coastline, used to calculate how far its territorial waters extend. “The baseline is the legal expression of the coastline and represents the end of a state's land,” explains Thévenin.

Most of the time the baseline is easy enough to trace by following the coastline on foot: the low-water line – the land contour at low tide – defines the baseline of a coastal state .

But the devil is in the details. Article 7 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea says that when the coast is “jagged and indented, or if there is a string of islands along the coast”, a state can create a straight baseline “connecting appropriate points”.

“It is these words that are interpreted differently by Russia and Western countries,” says Thévenin.

In the Arctic region, a diplomatic battle rages around Russia's baseline, which may or may not allow it to control the channels between islands. What is at stake in this battle over maritime borders – in the Arctic and perhaps soon in the Baltic Sea – is who controls these waters.

So it is not just a question of extending Russia's maritime borders at the expense of Lithuania or Finland. Moscow could, for example, incorporate certain Russian islands in the Gulf of Finland such as Hogland, 180km west of St. Petersburg, within its internal waters. The waters between the Russian coast and these islands would then legally form part of Russian territory and be considered internal waters.

And a country can impose special controls on such internal waters, Mälksoo explains, notably restricting access for boats that do not have authorisation.

“Whatever a country decides, any maritime claims, and any limits a state wants to impose on its internal waters must be in line with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," he says.

A previous incident involving Russia came after its 2014 annexation of Crimea. Moscow wanted the Kerch Strait , previously shared with Ukraine, to be considered internal Russian waters, allowing it to stop any ship traveling there without its authorisation. This led to a sharp rise in tensions with Ukraine following the seizure of Ukrainian vessels in this area in 2018.

Legal and geopolitical interest

Russia has more than a purely legal interest in clarifying the baselines of the Baltic Sea. “It's just one in a series of incidents marking a serious escalation of tensions in the region,” notes Rinna Kullaa, a specialist in Russian foreign policy issues at the University of Tampere in Finland.

She says it's no coincidence that the Russian bill was put forward after Finland's decision on Tuesday to propose a law tightening controls along the border with Russia, which has been closed since last year . The Russian initiative is payback, in part.

Read more Russia accused of meddling in the GPS systems of Baltic Sea countries

And there are other issues at play. “It also comes at a time when Russia is seeking to exert greater control over the airspace above Kaliningrad,” says Kullaa. Moscow has been accused of jamming GPS signals over this Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania.

For Basil Germond, a specialist in maritime security issues at Lancaster University in the UK, Russia's aim in introducing and withdrawing this bill is to intensify “political pressure in the region, to gauge NATO's response”.

It may also be linked to President Vladimir Putin 's fixation with the history of the USSR.

“It's not surprising that the Russian government wants to go back on the maritime limits negotiated in 1985, during the détente period,” notes Jeff Hawn, Russia specialist at the London School of Economics.

“Putin believes that Russia was tricked by the West at that time. So for him, this is also a way of saying that he wants to correct those mistakes.”

This article is a translation of the original in French .

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Clarence Thomas accepted a free yacht trip to Russia and got flown out on a complimentary helicopter ride to Putin's hometown, 2 Democratic senators say

• Democratic senators have accused Justice Clarence Thomas of accepting undisclosed gifts and trips.
• They say he accepted gifts such as a yacht trip to Russia and a chopper ride to Vladimir Putin's hometown.
• The senators want an investigation into potential tax fraud and ties between Thomas and Harlan Crow.

Two Democratic senators have accused Justice Clarence Thomas of accepting a free trip to Russian President Vladimir Putin's hometown.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon filed a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland on July 3, asking to open an investigation into the Supreme Court judge.

The letter said there was a "serious possibility of tax fraud" and accused Thomas of having "secretly accepted gifts and income potentially worth millions of dollars."

The letter's appendix , which lists 35 undisclosed gifts, shows a "yacht trip to Russia and the Baltics" and a "helicopter ride to Yusupov Palace, St. Petersburg," both listed under the year 2003.

St. Petersburg, Russia, is Putin's birthplace and where he grew up. The president now resides in Moscow.

The appendix list is titled "Likely Undisclosed Gifts and Income from Harlan Crow and Affiliated Companies." Harlan Crow is a real-estate developer and the former chairman and CEO of the Trammell Crow Company.

The senators cited a ProPublica report from May last year detailing Thomas' hushed-up financial ties to Crow.

The report said that apart from the Russia trip, Crow also funded Thomas' grandnephew Mark Martin 's boarding-school fees, which cost "more than $6,000 a month."

In their letter, the senators wrote that other gifts from Crow included "multiple instances of free private jet travel, yacht travel, and lodging," as well as "gifts of tuition for Justice Thomas's grandnephew," "real estate transactions," "home renovations," and "free rent for Justice Thomas's mother."

In September, Thomas said he'd accepted three trips on a private plane owned by Crow . He didn't mention any other gifts.

Related stories

Whitehouse and Wyden aren't the only Democrats who've voiced concerns over Thomas' sketchy financial ties.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York filed articles of impeachment against Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito on Wednesday.

"Justice Thomas and Alito's repeated failure over decades to disclose that they received millions of dollars in gifts from individuals with business before the court is explicitly against the law," her statement reads.

Representatives for Thomas, Whitehouse, Wyden and Crow didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Watch: Why Clarence Thomas' lavish vacations with a GOP donor are in the spotlight

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Andrius covers politics and general news in the Baltics - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the three key states along the NATO's eastern flank, the staunchest supporters of Ukraine and the most vocal critics of Russia in NATO and the European Union. He wrote stories on everything from China pressuring German companies to leave Taiwan-supporting Lithuania to Iraqi migrants hiding in the forest at the Belarus border to a farmer burning grain for heat during the energy crisis.

Exclusive: US-Japan Patriot missile production plan hits Boeing component roadblock

A U.S. plan to use Japanese factories to boost production of Patriot air defence missiles - used by Ukraine to defend against Russian attacks - is being delayed by a shortage of a critical component manufactured by Boeing, four sources said.

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OUR YACHTS MULTI-ROLE YACHTS

A comfortable cruising experience has always been a key sales pitch and driver in our designs. We want to make complex yachts easy to sail. We put great emphasis on user-friendliness in our technical design process and seek maximum comfort in our interior design.

Our expertise in building advanced composite yachts is based on nearly half a century of experience starting with many smaller production yachts and evolving into the custom superyachts we see being launched today. We are world leaders in this field of building, which is in so much demand today by clients looking for a multi-role yacht providing a platform for luxury living and a performance to win on the race course.

BALTIC 68 CAFÉ RACER

Baltic Yachts has launched an eco-friendly 68-footer for semi-series production and the first hull was delivered in summer 2021. This yacht embodies the latest eco-friendly building materials and a low emission propulsion unit. Hydrogeneration, solar panels and sustainable cork decks to dramatically reduce her environmental impact are among features reflecting a yacht to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Baltic 68 Café Racer-04

The owner of hull number four has opted for a conventional, diesel-driven propulsion system, a single rudder, a Hall Spars...

Baltic 175 Ravenger – Refit

Originally launched in 2017, the largest full carbon composite sloop in the world Baltic 175 Ravenger (originally named Pink Gin...

BALTIC 68 CAFÉ RACER-03

The third hull of the popular Café Racer will be optimised for racing while staying true to her concept of...

BALTIC 65 CUSTOM

This 65ft all-carbon sloop has been commissioned by a new client for Baltic Yachts as a sophisticated daysailer. She’s configured...

BALTIC 80 CUSTOM

Commissioned by an experienced yachtsman, Baltic 80 Custom is a particularly sleek and sporty looking yacht and could be regarded...

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Baltic 111 Raven

Designed for fast coastal and offshore sailing, the Baltic 111 Raven has taken full advantage of Baltic Yachts’ ability to build an advanced composite structure to the most exacting standards, creating a modern, stylish living platform within a high-performance design envelope.

Baltic 110 Zemi

This 110ft all carbon sloop was commissioned by an experienced yachtsman who required a yacht for global family cruising adventures at pace.

BALTIC 46 QUEEN ANNE – REFIT

The first yacht built by Baltic Yachts was designed by C&C Design in Canada with the interior layout and styling done by our own in-house design team. The Baltic 46 was designed for comfortable living on board and was aimed at the racing fraternity as well as the cruising minded.

Baltic 68 Café Racer Open Season

Commissioned by an experienced owner who is familiar with the Mediterranean regatta circuit, the second Baltic 68 Café Racer is from the same mould as Pink Gin Verde with characteristics optimised for racing.

BALTIC 67PC-03 FREEDOM

The judel/vrolijk-designed Baltic 67PC was conceived as a robust, fast, easy to handle long distance cruising yacht able to sail well in light to medium airs downwind conditions and maintain high daily mileage averages without recourse to the engine.

BALTIC 117 PERSEVERANCE

This yacht is an advanced composite 117ft (35.8m) Custom Classic sloop from the board of renowned Dutch designers Dykstra Naval Architects.

Baltic 68 Café Racer Pink Gin Verde

Designed to deliver an electrifying performance in more ways than one, this easy to handle Day Sailer is boosted by green power. Her un-plug and go electric propulsion and generation system is super eco-friendly and she’s finished to a luxurious standard on-deck and below.

Baltic 146 PATH

When she was commissioned this was the third largest yacht by volume Baltic Yachts had ever been asked to build.

BALTIC 67 PERFORMANCE CRUISER

A fast, easy to handle cruising yacht benefitting from the highest quality carbon fibre construction, 48 years of seamanlike design experience and the opportunity for owners to customise layout.

This new performance bluewater cruiser is designed to meet the demands of owners looking for a fast, easy to sail, good looking, long distance cruising yacht displaying seamanlike design throughout and benefitting from the carbon fibre engineering and building skills perfected by Baltic Yachts over 48 years.

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Liara is a complete level above anything else I have built in the past and I don’t know any yard that could deliver a yacht of this complexity virtually on time and to that extremely high quality.

Owner, Baltic 112 Liara

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When I was making my choice of builder, I concluded that the Baltic 67 had been far better thought through than similar yachts. A key requirement for my new yacht was high quality of build.

Owner, Baltic 67 Manyeleti

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In total our yachts have amassed thirty-three awards by various organisations including the ShowBoat Design Awards, the International Superyacht Society Awards and the World Superyacht Awards. Each yacht’s ability to perform equally well in cruise and race mode, together with Baltic Yachts’ ability to bring design alive, have consistently impressed the judges.

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Ukraine Loses Hard-Won Position Near Dnipro River in the South

Soldiers and military analysts said an operation to establish a foothold on the river’s Russian-controlled eastern bank was bloody and hard to justify.

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By Constant Méheut

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukrainian troops have lost a hard-won position on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, near the southern city of Kherson, after months of bloody fighting to hold on to a piece of land in what some Ukrainian soldiers and military analysts have described as a futile operation.

The Ukrainian military said on Wednesday night that fighting continued on the eastern bank but that most of the main positions in the village of Krynky, where its troops had gained a foothold, “were destroyed by intense, combined and prolonged enemy fire.” The statement came after several Ukrainian news media outlets reported that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from the village, which now lies in ruins.

The operation to establish a bridgehead on the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnipro had been controversial from the start. Launched last fall, it was seen as an attempt to open a new front in the south that would disrupt Moscow’s logistics and tie down its troops in the area. But military analysts warned that the operation, which consisted of dangerous river crossings, was vulnerable in its logistics and unlikely to lead to rapid breakthroughs.

Ukrainian gains were limited to small pieces of land near the river, of which Krynky was the most notable.

As fighting to secure the position dragged on for months, Ukrainian soldiers involved in the operation complained that it was brutal and senseless . Soldiers crossing the river on boats were easy targets for Russian drones and mortars. Once they landed on the eastern bank, they had nowhere to hide because the bombed-out terrain had been reduced to a mass of mud and flattened houses.

“From a military point of view, I find it difficult to find some grounds for this operation,” said Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group. “Whatever the initial goals of the operation were, they have most likely not been met.”

The Dnipro River divides the two armies in the south. Ukraine has controlled the western bank since the fall of 2022, when a successful counteroffensive drove the Russians out of the city of Kherson and pushed them across the river.

Ukrainian assaults on the eastern bank began about a year later. They were initially shrouded in secrecy, with small groups of soldiers harassing Russian forces in night raids, arriving from small boats at various points along the meandering river.

Officials remained tight-lipped about the fierce fighting until last November, when they announced that their troops had seized a sliver of land on the Russian-controlled bank, including Krynky. One of the goals of the operation appeared to draw Russian troops to the area and prevent them from being dispatched to other parts of the front where Moscow was on the offensive, such as in the east.

Oleksandr Kovalenko , a Ukrainian military analyst, said that Russia had concentrated tens of thousands of troops in the area to repel Ukrainian attacks. “Let’s imagine that this resource of 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers appeared in the Belgorod region, supplementing the northern troop groups,” he said, referring to Russia’s recent offensive in northeastern Ukraine. “Would the Russians then have been able to capture Vovchansk and Lyptsi completely? Yes.”

Vovchansk and Lyptsi are two towns in the north where fierce fighting has raged but which Russia has been unable to capture.

But holding on to Krynky also cost Ukraine many lives. Ukrainian soldiers said they were stuck for days in muddy terrain with little to no cover from Russian artillery, drones and airstrikes.

An article published on Wednesday by Slidstvo Info , an investigative Ukrainian news outlet, reported that at least 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the eastern bank or are missing. That figure could not be independently confirmed.

By winter, with casualties mounting and Ukraine failing to expand its presence on the eastern bank, Mr. Kastehelmi, of the Black Bird Group, said the operation had become “more politically motivated,” with the goal of showing that Ukraine could still be on the offensive, as doubts increased among Western allies that Kyiv could win the war.

Mr. Kastehelmi said Ukraine did not have the resources to sustain such an attritional fight for months. “It’s a fair question to ask if the operation should have been ended faster and if Ukrainian brigades could have been better used in other areas,” he said.

Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people. More about Constant Méheut

Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky says working with Trump would be ‘hard’ as leaders expected to talk soon

LIVE – Updated at 23:07

Volodymyr Zelensky has said working with Donald Trump will be hard if the former US President is re-elected, “ but we are hard workers ”.

The Ukrainian president was asked about Mr Trump’s pick for vice president, JD Vance , who has previously said he “does not care” what happens in the conflict “one way or the other”.

“Maybe he really doesn’t understand what goes on in Ukraine , so we have to work with the United States ,” Mr Zelensky told the BBC.

Mr Zelensky is on Friday to become the first foreign leader to address the UK cabinet since Bill Clinton in 1997. He said he hoped Sir Keir Starmer ’s time as prime minister would be a “special” era in UK foreign policy. And he ruled out stepping down as prime minister until the war is over.

Sir Keir is expected to tell the Ukrainian leader that Britain will do more in the coming months to dent Russia ’s “war machine”, including agreeing a new defence export support treaty to help Kyiv draw on export finance.

Zelensky says he will have to work with the US

Trump and zelensky phone call likely today, sources say.

• Ukraine launches major drone attack on Crimea
• Germany to halve military aid for Ukraine in deepening crisis

German medic ‘linked to regiment defending Ukraine' sentenced to death by firing squad in Belarus

A German citizen who worked for the Red Cross and has since been linked to a volunteer regiment formed to defend Ukraine from Russia’s invasion has been sentenced to death by firing squad in Belarus.

Respected human rights group Viasna, whose imprisoned founder is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, identified the man sentenced as Red Cross medic named Rico Krieger.

It said he was sentenced in late June in a closed trial for charges including mercenary activity, terrorism and creating an extremist group, in charges allegedly connected to an explosion intended to undermine public order. Where any explosion is claimed to have taken place is unclear.

Human rights activists said they believed the case concerns the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a military unit of Belarusian citizens fighting alongside Ukraine against Russia.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case. It said the ministry and the German Embassy in Minsk were providing consular support to the person affected and advocating for him with Belarusian authorities, but it didn’t state his name or other details.

“The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman form of punishment that Germany rejects under all circumstances,” the German ministry said.

Starmer’s words will be welcomed in Kyiv – but Zelensky needs action more than ever

The red carpet was laid, the prime minister was at the famous black door, and the special guest made his entrance. To a standing ovation from the new UK cabinet, Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sir Keir Starmer, the fourth British prime minister he’s met since the war began, to “show leadership” and help with the removal of restrictions on weapons supplied by Western allies.

The PM, who vowed to “double down” on support for Ukraine, described the meeting as “a real piece of history”. Zelensky, who has exchanged similar warm words with various Western leaders, may not agree that Friday’s meeting was quite so historic, but the significance of the event itself must not be overlooked.

The president of Ukraine had been invited to address a meeting of the UK cabinet – only the second foreign dignitary to be accorded this honour in recent memory.

Russia claims capture of another village in east Ukraine

Russia’s army claimed on Friday that it had captured another village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where Ukraine is struggling to hold the line against an endless Russian onslaught.

Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had “liberated the village of Yurivka”, a tiny settlement around 20 miles north of the regional capital, also called Donetsk.

Yurivka is the third village Russia has claimed to have taken this week.

Ukraine claims to have downed a Russian Su-25 fighter jet

Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-25 fighter jet in the Donetsk region on Friday.

“Our anti-aircraft guns shot down a Russian Su-25 in Donetsk region,” Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces said on Telegram, adding that the supersonic jet was “trying to fire at the positions of units of the Defense Forces”.

“ Thanks to the accuracy, skill and professionalism of our anti-aircraft fighters, today the Russian aviation has decreased by one combat aircraft,” they added.

Pictured: Zelensky addresses British cabinet

F-16 supplies set to speed up with polish help, zelensky says.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Poland had taken a decision that would speed up the deliveries of much-needed F-16 jets to Ukraine, but did not say what it was.

Poland, which borders Ukraine and has been a close wartime ally, is not one of the countries that has pledged to supply the jets to Ukraine.

There was no immediate comment from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s office on Zelenskiy’s remark.

“Today, we have a positive decision from the Polish government on a specific issue, which will allow Ukraine to receive F-16 jets sooner,” Zelensky said on X without elaborating.

Kyiv is desperately waiting for deliveries of its first F-16s, which it hopes will enhance its air defence capabilities and help repel regular long-range Russian airstrikes.

US journalist Evan Gershkovich jailed for 16 years by Russian court

US journalist Evan Gershkovich has been jailed for 16 years in a Russian prison on “politically motivated” charges of espionage.

Mr Gershkovich, 32, has been behind bars since his March 2023 arrest after Moscow accused him of “gathering secret information” for the CIA about a military equipment facility in central Russia.

The Wall Street Journal reporter has denied the charges and nations including the US and UK have hit out at what they see as politically motivated charges – with US president Joe Biden calling his detention “totally illegal”.

The Kremlin has said he was caught “red-handed” but has not published evidence. The court proceedings have been closed to the media, with a verdict set to be announced on Friday afternoon.

How UK’s strategic capabilities compare to the 1980s as defence review rolled out

Prime minister Keir Starmer’s review of Britain’s defences comes as the West faces a “dangerous quartet” of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, according to Nato chief Lord Robertson.

Russia remains the key threat, as it is continuing to wage war in Ukraine, including a deadly missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv last week. Relations with Russia are at their worst since the Cold War period, and military experts believe that European countries need to be prepared for conflict.

But how do Britain’s armed forces compare now to 40 years ago, in 1984, when the UK was engaged in a stand-off with Russia?

In terms of personnel and vessels, the UK’s capacity is substantially lower than in 1984, primarily because the UK is in peacetime.

Read the full article by The Independent’s data correspondent Alicja Hagopian here:

Ukraine plans to build fleet of new war robots

Ukraine is raising funds to build a new fleet of terrestrial robotic platforms that will roam the battlefield, delivering weapons, helping the wounded and firing guns.

The new machines will be designed to act as mobile machine gun posts, logistics devices, tow trucks, minelayers and deminers as well as self-destructive robots.

“They will fight alongside people and for people. The first robots are already proving their effectiveness on the battlefield. And we hope there will be more of them soon,” said a spokesman for United24, the Ukrainian fundraising platform behind the initiative.

Poland investigating crime against Belarusian opposition figure

Prosecutors in Poland are investigating a crime targeting leading Belarusian opposition figure Pavel Latushka under sections of the penal code covering homicide and the activities of foreign intelligence networks.

National Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Przemyslaw Nowak told Reuters in an email that an investigation was being conducted together with officers from Poland’s Internal Security Agency based in the central city of Lodz. He declined to give specific details of the events being investigated.

According to a letter from prosecutors to Latushka seen by Reuters, the investigation falls under sections of the penal code which cover inciting others to commit a crime, the activities of foreign intelligence agencies and homicide.

The investigation into a crime against Latushka, a deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, comes at a time of heightened fears for the safety of Belarusian and Russian opposition figures after an attack on Leonid Volkov, an exiled aide to late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Russian prosecutor seeks 18-year sentence for US journalist Gershkovich

Russian prosecutors at the trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich on Friday requested that he be jailed for 18 years on charges of spying, Russian news agencies reported.

A verdict will be passed on the Wall Street Journal reporter within hours, the agencies said. Gershkovich, his newspaper and the US government all reject the accusation of spying.

Dozens of Nobel laureates call on Belarus leader Lukashenko to release all political prisoners

Dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko to release all political prisoners currently detained by his regime.

The 58 Nobel laureates, including Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, have signed an open letter urging Lukashenko to agree to a political amnesty after 18 seriously ill activists were released this month.

The Belarusian human rights group Viasna counts almost 1,400 political prisoners, including its Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder Ales Bialiatski.

Dozens of Nobel laureates call on Belarus to release all political prisoners

UK to provide military aid for Ukraine ‘for rest of decade’

The UK will provide military aid funding to Ukraine “for every year for the rest of the decade,” John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said.

“If we take the starting point that the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine and if Putin wins in Ukraine he will not stop there, then we must stand with Ukraine, we’re determined to do that,” he told Times Radio.

“And it isn’t just that. We’ve stepped up extra support in these first two weeks in Government.

“We’ve also confirmed the commitment of extra military aid funding this year and for every year for the rest of the decade. As long as it takes.”

Hungary's Orban says Trump was attacked for 'anti-war' views

Former US president Donald Trump and Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico were both attacked for their “anti-war views”, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban claimed.

Mr Fico was hit by four bullets in an assassination attempt in mid-May while Trump, the Republican party’s nominee for the November presidential vote, survived a shooting on 13 July.

“All these attacks are against anti-war, pro-peace politicians. Pro-war forces are so stirred up, tense, abetted and organised that they are trying to clean out the pro-peace forces from the stage, from the centre of political life,” ” Mr Orban said.

The Hungarian prime minister, who went on a self-styled Ukraine “peace mission” earlier this month that included a meeting with Trump, said that the former president survived the attack because “God has plans with him” to advance peace.

EU leaders hail reset in UK relations as Starmer vows to be Europe’s ‘friend and partner’

EU leaders hail reset in UK relations as Starmer vows to be Europe’s ‘friend’

Zelensky urges European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s ‘bravery’

Volodymyr Zelensky has urged European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s “bravery” in the fight against Russian aggression .

The Ukrainian leader made his call as he spoke in the former prime minister’s birthplace , Blenheim Palace, during only his third visit to the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion. It is his first trip to the UK since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street. Mr Zelensky also met with King Charles during the visit.

The Ukrainian leader told a summit of European leaders: “Bravery made Churchill Churchill. Bravery won the greatest battle of his life. It was the battle for Britain.

“Now our bravery and cooperation must achieve no less so that the children of our nations can someday look back at us, at what we have done, at what we have chosen, what we have promised, and see the pillars of their peace, their security and their prosperity just as we see it when we look back at the most famous person from Blenheim.”

Tom Watling reports:

Zelensky calls on European leaders to channel Churchill’s ‘bravery’ against Russia

Associates of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky have discussed arranging a phone call between the two leaders, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

One source said the call could occur as early as today, but it was not immediately clear if the conversation, which would be their first since the former US president left the White House in 2021, had been confirmed.

CNN reported yesterday that the two leaders had a phone call scheduled for today. The report noted that the schedule of the former president, who is in Milwaukee to accept the Republican Party presidential nomination, is subject to frequent changes.

Mr Trump has said he would end the war in Ukraine before he even takes office in January should he win the November election, though he has not provided details of how he would do so.

Two wounded by downed drone in Russia, governor says

Debris of a downed Ukrainian drone wounded two people in the Russian city of Kursk on Friday morning, acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov said.

Separately, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying that a total of 19 drones have been destroyed overnight, including 11 over the Kursk region.

UK defence firms discuss boosting support for Ukraine with Zelensky

Senior executives from British defence firms including BAE and Babcock met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday to discuss the need to boost military support for the country in its conflict with Russia.

The Ukrainian president is in Britain for a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and the meeting in London also included representatives from Thales, MBDA and KBR as well as British defence minister John Healey and business minister Jonathan Reynolds.

“Meeting with industry leaders today, I emphasised the government will continue to work in partnership with industry and the need to boost industrial production of vital military kit for both Ukraine and our own Armed Forces,” Healey said in a statement.

Babcock will extend its contract with the British defence ministry by six months to provide maintenance and repair of military vehicles, Britain’s defence ministry said.

Zelensky to brief cabinet as first foreign leader to visit No 10 under Starmer

Volodymyr Zelensky will address an extraordinary meeting of the UK Cabinet on Friday as he becomes the first official visitor to Downing Street under Sir Keir Starmer ’s premiership.

The Ukrainian president, who is making his third visit to the UK , will also be the first foreign leader to address the cabinet in person since US president Bill Clinton in 1997.

He is expected to brief ministers about the situation in Ukraine and the need to expand Europe’s industrial defence base, as well as agreeing a £3.5bn defence export finance deal with Sir Keir.

The Labour leader made his first visit to Ukraine in February last year and has been keen to underline Britain’s ongoing support for the embattled country, despite a change of government in the UK.

A victory for Donald Trump in the US election in November would be difficult for Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has said, acknowledging that Ukrainians were prepared.

Mr Trump’s election would be “hard work, but we are hard workers”, he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Mr Zelensky said “Maybe he really doesn’t care, but we have to work with the United States,” he said while attending the European Political Community meeting in London.

The Republican leader’s choice of Senator JD Vance as his running mate has underscored how Washington’s stand on Ukraine, locked in a 28-month-old war with Russia, could change if he won the election. Vance is on record in an interview as saying “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”

The administration of Joe Biden has provided weapons and supplies throughout the conflict, though the flow of assistance was halted for months by disputes within the US Congress.

Mr Trump has said during the campaign that, once elected, he would bring the conflict to an end even before taking office by securing a deal at the negotiating table. He said there would have been no conflict at all had he been in office when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

Zelensky discusses bilateral relations with Serbia’s Vucic

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday discussed security and bilateral relations with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the European Political Community meeting in Britain.

“We appreciate the financial and humanitarian assistance provided to our country,” Zelensky said on X.

Starmer invites Zelensky to attend cabinet

Prime minister Keir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelensky at a meeting of his top ministers today, in a show of support for the Ukrainian leader who will welcome a new plan to try to disrupt Russia’s attempts to evade shipping sanctions.

A day after hosting a forum of European leaders at Blenheim Palace, the PM pressed on with his bid to raise Britain’s role in international affairs by inviting Mr Zelensky to address his cabinet. The last foreign leader to do so was US President Bill Clinton in 1997, Starmer’s office said.

Mr Zelensky will also welcome the launch of a “call to action” against Russia’s 600-strong ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers used to break sanctions, officials said.

Sir Keir is expected to tell the Ukrainian leader that Britain will do more in the coming months to dent Russia’s “war machine”, including agreeing a new defence export support treaty to help Kyiv draw on export finance.

“Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government’s agenda and so it is only fitting that President Zelenskiy will make a historic address to my cabinet,” he said in a statement.

“And alongside our European partners, we have sent a clear message to those enabling (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s attempts to evade sanctions: we will not allow Russia’s shadow fleet, and the dirty money it generates, to flow freely through European waters and put our security at risk.”

Ukraine pulls out from another eastern village as Russian offensive grows

Ukraine’s army has pulled out from the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, an official said yesterday, surrendering another front-line position as Russian forces blast Ukrainian defences in a relentless onslaught.The village was reduced to rubble which “made it impossible to hold the positions there,” said Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesperson for local ground forces. He did not say when the pullout occurred.

Russia prematurely claimed earlier this week that it had seized Urozhaine in the early days of the war that began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Ukrainian troops recaptured it almost a year ago.

Russia has deployed devastating firepower as it pursues a summer offensive that has reduced towns and villages to ruins, denying Ukrainians defensive cover. Despite valiant defending, analysts say, Ukrainian forces are being pushed back in some places along the front line by the bigger and better equipped Kremlin army.

Russia says 'let's be realistic' about Trump plan to end Ukraine war

Russia said on Thursday that Donald Trump’s assertion he could quickly end the Ukraine war should be viewed realistically, given that he had promised a Middle East peace breakthrough but failed to achieve it during his presidency.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had noted statements by Trump, who is running against President Joe Biden in November’s U.S. election, and by his newly nominated running mate J.D. Vance.

“We saw the statements - Trump said he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours, then Vance said that China is a bigger problem for the United States than the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” Ms Zakharova said.

“It’s necessary to separate pre-election rhetoric from statements by government officials vested with the appropriate powers. If we talk about whether it’s possible to resolve the conflict, let’s be realistic.”

Kim Jong-un discusses military cooperation with Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received Russian vice minister of defence Aleksey Krivoruchko and discussed the importance of the two countries’ militaries to unite more firmly to defend world peace and justice, KCNA news agency said today.

The two leaders shared the need for military cooperation between the two countries to defend mutual security interests, KCNA said.

Mr Krivoruchko conveyed greetings from Russian president Vladimir Putin to the North’s supreme leader, who expressed deep thanks in the meeting, held on Thursday.

The report did not provide any other details of Mr Krivoruchko’s delegation or the purpose of the visit to North Korea.

North Korea and Russia have deepened military cooperation since their leaders held a summit in the Russian Far East last year and signed a treaty on strategic partnership that includes a mutual defence agreement struck in June when Putin visited Pyongyang.

The two countries have been accused of conducting arms trade by Seoul and Washington to help Russia’s stock of missiles and artillery for its war with Ukraine. The two countries deny such trade.

Trump and Zelensky plan to speak today – CNN

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has a phone call scheduled for Friday with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, in what would be their first conversation since the former US president left the White House in 2021, a CNN reporter posted on X, citing two unnamed sources.

The reporter did not provide details.

This would be the Ukrainian leader’s first exchange with the Republican nominee after he was shot in the ear but did not suffer any major injuries during a political rally last week.

Von der Leyen pledges ‘European air shield’ to combat Russia threat as she is re-elected as EU chief

Von der Leyen pledges ‘EU air shield’ to combat Russia threat as she is re-elected

Ursula von der Leyen re-elected to a second 5-year term as European Commission president

Zelensky calls on European leaders to channel Winston Churchill’s ‘bravery’ against Russia

Ukraine and Russia exchange 95 prisoners of war each in latest deal

Trump will push for Ukraine-Russia peace immediately if elected, Hungary’s Orban tells EU leaders

Trump will push for Ukraine-Russia peace immediately if elected, Orban says

Donald Trump would be ‘strong and decisive’ in support for Ukraine, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson meets Donald Trump and urges him to stand by Ukraine

Ukraine faces twin challenges of fighting Russia and shifting political sands in the US

Ukraine struggles with heatwave as power cuts leave millions without air conditioning

Zelensky pleads for more F-16 fighter jets and air defences from West to protect from Russian missile attacks

Zelensky pleads for more F-16 fighter jets and air defences to protect Ukraine

Starmer calls for deeper cooperation on Ukraine and Europe's problems

Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, called on Thursday for closer cooperation in Europe to advance support for Ukraine and tackle the continent’s most pressing problems: illegal migration, climate change and energy security.

Opening a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) of more than 40 nations at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Starmer made his bid for a reset in post-Brexit ties with the European Union.

He distanced himself from the previous Conservative government which had threatened to withdraw from an international treaty on human rights, offering other European leaders a clean slate.

Russian attacks kill five in eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine says

Russian attacks on Ukraine’s frontline Donetsk region killed five civilians and injured three others on Thursday, damaging private houses and a residential building, prosecutors said.

A woman and her husband were killed in artillery shelling in the village of Pleshchiivka, the general prosecutor’s office said on Telegram.

Another three women were killed in a strike on private buildings in the village of Hrodivka, it added.

Separately, the Russian military dropped two guided bombs on the village of Velyka Novosilka, injuring a man and his wife inside their house, the prosecutors said. Another man was wounded in an artillery strike in the town of Zalizne, they added.

Nobel prize winners urge Belarus to release political prisoners

Dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Belarus’s authoritarian leader to release over a thousand political prisoners locked up for criticising his regime.

The 58 Nobel laureates, including Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, signed an open letter urging Alexander Lukashenko to agree to a political amnesty for 1,400 people behind bars for political activity.

Many of those suffering in harsh conditions were detained after Mr Lukashenko staged a violent crackdown in 2020 to suppress peaceful protests following an election widely believed to have been rigged.

“It is unacceptable to subject the people of your country to severe trials and harsh conditions solely for their beliefs. Every person has the right to their opinion and deserves respect for their individuality,” the letter, addressed to Mr Lukashenko said.

“You have a unique opportunity to turn the page on the past and enter history not only as an uncompromising ruler but also as a political leader who has shown wisdom and compassion, responsible to your people and their future.”

Wife of jailed Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza calls for West to step in now after prison hospital transfer

Wife of jailed Putin critic calls for West to help release her hospitalised husband

Ukraine and Russia have carried out one of their largest exchanges of prisoners of war – 190 people in total –following negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

Ukrainian PoWs were filmed arriving in coaches at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Wednesday, before being draped in national flags and chanting, “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes.”

Footage released by Ukraine’s commission for human rights also showed multiple soldiers holding emotional phone calls with their families, the first time they had spoken to relatives since being captured, while another man was pictured in tears collapsing onto the ground.

Zelensky touches down in UK as Starmer hosts major European summit

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in the United Kingdom as Sir Keir Starmer hosts his first European leader’s summit.

The Ukrainian leader touched down on Thursday for only his third trip to the UK since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Mr Zelensky is also due to meet with King Charles during the visit to the UK.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has claimed that Donald Trump “will be strong and decisive” in his support of Ukraine and in “defending democracy”.

The Conservative ex-premier was in Washington this week to attend the Republican National Conference in Milwaukee, where Mr Trump was named the party’s official candidate in the upcoming US presidential elections.

After a photograph circulated showing him giving a speech to a near-empty room at the conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson later shared an image of himself meeting with Mr Trump, just days after the ex-president survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.