Terrible scenes here as the majestic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra- the Monastery of the Caves - burns, deliberately struck by missiles sent by Russia under Putin who presents himself as the leader of a Christian Civilisation and Russian World. The attack is a sign of desperation - a nihilistic attempt to destroy Ukraine's own history culture and religion, the ugly rage that if Russia cannot have it then nor can Ukraine. The Caves are older than Russia, much older since Russia was in part invented by Peter the Great but even a century older than the earliest foundation of Moscow as a minor fortress. Indeed it is not just ironic but revealing that the founder of Moscow itself, the Rurikid Prince Yuri I Vladimirovich known as Yuri the Long-Armed, Dolgorukiy, is buried there. Founded when Russia did not exist, when Moscow was a forest, it was initially ruled by the fissiparous Rurikid princes of Kievan Rus and built by priests from Mount Athos around the 1050s. It was sacked several times by Mongol invaders and the Mongol rulers of Russia the Genghizid khans of the Golden Horde - echoes of today - and later ruled by a succession of realms including the huge Grand Duchy of Lithuania.... And then swallwed into the Principality of Muscovy by Peter the Great's father Alexei. In 1787, when Catherine the Great progressed down towards the newly conquered Crimea, she rendez-voused with her co-ruler Prince Potemkin in Kyiv. He was half sybarite half coenobite and while he was waiting for her, he moved into the Caves and lived there for months, holding court for ambassadors and adventuresses - in between spasms of prayer and scourging. Putin identifies with Catherine and Potemkin who conquered Crimea and south Ukraine and he stole the body of Potemkin during this war. But Potemkin loved the Lavra... As the Red Army retreated in 1941, the Soviets blew up parts of the Lavra and it was rebuilt after the war.... Now its destruction is heartbreaking - it semaphores the barbarism and bankruptcy and nihilism of the Russian war - it may just mark a new low in a bloodcurdled spiral of brutality that is this unnecessary imperial conflict but one can only hope that the vandal madness of this attack marks another stage in the road to the realization that Putin's war has failed .... thetimes.com/world/russia-uk…

Estonia joins the leaders' statement on the agreement between the US and Iran. We support continued efforts towards regional stability and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. gov.uk/government/news/joint…

🚨 NEW: The BBC has revealed Russia has been setting up fake far-right and Islamist groups in the UK to stoke division Operatives paid people to vandalise mosques, spread extremist propaganda and inflame tensions after the Southport riots

Looking back at the NB8 Summit in Tallinn. Eight countries. One voice. The Nordic-Baltic region is becoming one of Europe's strongest engines of security, innovation and growth. Together with President @ZelenskyyUa, we reaffirmed that Ukraine can count on us. We remain among Ukraine's most committed supporters. Thank you to everyone who helped make the summit a success 🇪🇪🇺🇦🇩🇰🇫🇮🇮🇸🇱🇻🇱🇹🇳🇴🇸🇪

The Lavra in Kyiv 🇺🇦 is a jewel of Christianity of profound cultural and historical significance. There is simply no way Putin 🇷🇺 can justify tonight’s strike against it.

This is what Christianity truly means to Russia. The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the oldest and most significant monastery of Eastern Slavic Orthodox Christianity, a UNESCO site with almost 1,000 years of history, was under Russian attack last night in Ukraine’s capital city. This is what happens in reality while that monstrous Soviet KGB regime obsessed with war and territorial grabs tries to pose as “based and trad” to fool Christian conservatives in the West. And it started raining in the Ukrainan city when its main holy site was on fire.

Russia likes to present itself as the guardian of Christian civilization. By striking the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, it has instead once again demonstrated its barbarity and contempt for humanity's shared heritage. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of Christianity's holiest monasteries. A place of worship for nearly a thousand years. Today, it burns because of Russia.

Today connects several historic events together to an awful explanation why history matters and if not stopped, the aggressors strike again: - June 14, 1940 - Soviet military aircraft shot down Finnish passenger plane Kaleva on its daily flight from Tallinn to Helsinki. All aboard were killed, including U.S. and French diplomatic couriers; - June 14, 1941 - occupying Soviets deported ca 10,000 Estonians overnight in filthy cattle carts to Soviet Gulags. Their guilt - being members of the families of Estonian political, economic, cultural, law enforcement and military elite; - June 14, 2026 - hearing news of russian drone attack against Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of the holiest sites of the Eastern Slavic religion that putin and his cronies claim to defend and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lavra was established around 1050 AD, moscow was first mentioned in chronicles a good century later. - June 14, 2026 - the still-ongoing russian missile and drone attack has also hit the Kharkiv Art Museum and the Iconic Dovzhenko Film Studios in Kyiv. This clearly is a war against nation, its culture and identity. Photo sources: Suomen Ilmailumuseo, Memento, Yevstratiy Zoria, Ukraine's State Emergency Service

My mom was born on the River Ob, Siberia. 85 yrs ago today, her mother & grandparents, as thousands of others were deported by Soviet regime. The ‘crime’? ‘Exploitation of people’. Reality? Running a business. Today, I took my kid to the memorial in Tallinn. To never forget

OTD in 1941, 8 days before the invasion, Soviet "news" agency @tassagency_en dismissed Churchill's warning of an imminent nazi attack on the USSR as "clumsy imperialist propaganda". Imagine them doing that today again, also 8 days before an invasion.

We remember. And we know what “Russian peace” really means

OTD in 1940 Soviet Union shot down a Finnish civil flight from Estonia to Helsinki, killing diplomats from France & USA plus businessmen from our allies in Nazi Germany. We denied it. Imagine the red Air Force shooting down civil aircraft in this day & age then lying about it.

The dark past should not be forgotten. 🇪🇪

85 years ago today, the Soviet regime deported around 10,000 Estonians to Siberia. The evil behind this crime has not disappeared. As we honour the victims and remember those who suffered under Soviet terror, we must also remember that Russia continues its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, deporting children, terrorising civilians, and attempting to erase Ukrainian identity. History teaches us that crimes left unpunished lead to further aggression. The Soviet deportations were never fully reckoned with, and today it is our responsibility to ensure that Russia's crimes against Ukraine do not go unpunished.

Today marks 85 years since the first Soviet mass deportations in Estonia. More than 10,000 people torn from their homes. 7,000 of them women, children, and the elderly. We will never forget the innocent lives shattered and lost. We will stand for our freedom. #NeverAloneAgain

In the early hours of this day 85 years ago, thousands of families across Estonia were woken by a knock on the door, only to be torn from their homes and deported to Siberia by the Soviet regime. During the June 1941 deportations, around 10,000 Estonians, together with tens of thousands of Latvians and Lithuanians, fell victim to Soviet terror. As we honour the victims of these crimes, we must also remember that Russia is using many of the same methods in Ukraine today — deporting children, terrorising civilians, and attempting to erase Ukrainian identity. History teaches us that crimes left unpunished lead to further aggression. It is time to hold Russia accountable.

Repost to join us in celebrating our Ally the 🇬🇧 #UnitedKingdom as they mark the official birthday of 👑 His Majesty King Charles III #TroopingtheColour #WeAreNATO 🤝 @UKNATO

OTD in 1941 Soviets started forcibly deporting 50,000 of the Baltic people we had ‘liberated from fascism’. 60% died. 75% were women & kids Imagine mass deportations happening today..

That was quite a week!

I cringe every time I hear "Ukraine and russia exchanged attacks overnight." Ukraine strikes military targets. russia strikes apartment buildings, hospitals, and civilians. These are not equivalent actions. And they should not be reported as if they are.