user avatar
Holger Roonemaa
@holger_r
Investigative journalist, editor. Delfi Estonia / Eesti Ekspress OCCRP Member of @ICIJorg
Tallinn, Estonia.
Joined April 2009
914
Following
21.4K
Followers
Posts
  • Pinned
    user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Nov 1, 2024
    Here's a story we worked on for a year. We analysed 24 RU mil bases behind Baltic and Polish borders and engaged top level military sources to evaluate our findings. It is a story how the war would play out in case RU would decide to start it. 🧵⬇️
    Satellite imagery analysis. What’s going on in Putin’s military bases behind the Estonian border...
    From ekspress.delfi.ee
    704K
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Aug 27, 2024
    A few months ago we ran a small experiment. We created a new account in Telegram and started looking for a job. We joined channels that were directly about jobs in Estonia. Here’s what happened.
    4.7M
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    🧵I talked with an Estonian analyst who has access to info and who I regard as one of the best we have here. His main conclusion: "The danger is far from over but there is reason for a very cautious optimism. Russian advance has clearly stalled." More below:
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    Regarding Russia's shortage of missiles. "Putin was told he had 10,000 missiles. In fact, he had 1,000. It's peculiar he didn't remember how he was lying to his own bosses as a young KGB officer. Such lying is common in the culture."
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Aug 27, 2024
    Replying to @holger_r
    We were quickly offered to 1) carry migrants from Belarusian border to Germany, 2) to scam Swiss out of their savings, 3) launder money by allowing unknown people use our bank accounts, 4) different drug related gigs, 5) send a photo of our penis for 2500 USD (we rejected).
    489K
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    The idea of bringing in Syrian fighter is extra desperate. "One thing is to fight in the narrow streets of Arabian cities. It's something else in Kyiv or Kharkiv where the boulevards are 100m wide." Also refers to cold climate and low morale of Syrians.
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Aug 27, 2024
    Replying to @holger_r
    "People are aiming to reach Germany. These are the kind of people you can even put in your trunk. They have a mission to get to Germany. It doesn't matter how they get there, they just want to get there,” explained another recruiter in the same business.
    366K
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Aug 27, 2024
    Replying to @holger_r
    Here’s a screenshot of just one of the conversations. A “Steve Jobs” offered us $1300 per person to carry migrants from Latvia’s border with Belarus to Germany. He provided us with a detailed route of the trip.
    447K
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Aug 27, 2024
    Replying to @holger_r
    These are just some of the examples of what we were offered. Bottomline: Telegram has made it so easy. You don’t need to know the dark web to buy/sell drugs, find quick criminal gigs or even if you’re a Russian secret service looking to hire people for sabotage ops in Europe.
    261K
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    Fatigue of RU units "massive". A third has been replaced, but incoming units have even worse quality. Another third has been destroyed, killed or wounded. Re-formation of units doesn't have a good impact on combat capability.
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    About possible mobilization in RU. That was on the agenda last Friday in Fed Council and duma but allegedly high-ranking military re-convinced Putin. "Reserve units have no training, they even don't have enough uniforms for them."
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    The sth line of attack has split in 2, one advancing twd Mykolaiv, the other to Kryvyi Rih. This is serious risk to RU forces as the supply lines, which we already know are crap, will be dragged even longer. "This leaves the Ukrainians plenty of chance to 'beat them to pieces'.
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    The question is if Moscow today forces Lukashenko to send in the troops from Belarus, but BY troops' motivation is even lower than that of RU. "The Western-Ukrainian national & anti-Russian environment would be extra hostile towards them."
  • user avatar
    Holger Roonemaa
    @holger_r
    Mar 11, 2022
    Replying to @holger_r
    Since last Sat it's been relatively stable on the fronts. There is an expectation of a reforming of RU units and a new line of attack, but so far little evidence of it. "If Russia doesn't achieve a remarkable advance by end of week, difficult to see how it should come at all."