Two of the greatest vocal powerhouses of K-Pop are indisputably DK and Seungkwan of SEVENTEEN, and the duo decided to remind us of that once again with the release of their first project as DxS. The mini-album Serenade takes us through the emotional arc of a relationship, from the first meeting to the heartbreaking end.
The angelic voices of DK and Seungkwan bring the absolute best of this love story to life and comfort us through it as well. From the thrill of DK’s solo, ‘Rockstar,’ which narrates the “butterflies in your stomach” feeling of first meeting someone to the gut-wrenching feeling of seeing that person slip away in ‘Silence,’ Serenade is a perfect showcase of DxS’s vocal and storytelling abilites. Honestly, there’s a little something for everyone waiting to be discovered in this album.
‘Blue’
‘Blue’ is the lead single of Serenade and one of the tracks that got us crying the most while we listened… and then again when we watched the music video. A 7-minute music video, by the way. Starring actors Yoo-mi Lee and Steve Sanghyun Noh, the MV feels like a short film that, much like the lyrics, depict “love moving at different paces,” causing the couple to drift apart.
We could spend hours talking about the masterpiece that is this MV. After showing us Sanghyun as a man whose wounds seem too deep to overcome and Yoo-mi as the devoted lover who grows weary of this relationship, we are left wondering what will happen to these two. Will they overcome the difficulties or drift apart forever? Well, seems like we’ll find out on January 19, when an epilogue version of the music video is set to be released.
You can check out the 7-minute cinematic music video for ‘Blue’ below and join us as we sob our way through this beautiful track (again).
The Kings of Musical Versatility
It’s not like we didn’t know that already, but seeing DxS deliver a whole mini album actively showing us how much range they have is honestly very nice. The six songs present in Serenade range from pop-rock to ballad to R&B and we love it!
Like we’ve mentioned, Serenade opens with DK’s solo track, ‘Rockstar,’ and towards the end we also have Seungkwan’s solo, ‘Dream Serenade,’ a direct contrast to the upbeat vibes of DK’s solo. This one explores the concept of finding mutual closure through understanding. Also, DxS were involved in writing and composing these tracks, which is probably why we enjoy them so much.
Beyond the solos, we’re also obsessed with ‘Guilty Pleasure,’ with its R&B sound and irresistible lyrics about being curious enough to face the possible dangers. ‘Silence’ captured our hearts as well with its depiction of the emptiness that follows a breakup we all saw coming but still hurts anyway. And what can we say about the album closer ‘Prelude of love?’ Insipiring to say the least, and a reminder that there’s always a new beginning at the end of every journey.
We already knew DK and Seungkwan are incredibly talented artists from group releases, previous solo tracks and covers, that’s not news. However, Serenade feels like a step further into that talent. And we cannot wait to see what comes next!
What was your favorite track off of Serenade? Let us know by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP. Or you can also find us on Instagram and Facebook!
SEVENTEEN continues to make history this year, and we’re just super proud of them. We also got some news on Jeonghan, Jun, and Seungkwan, as well as sneak peeks at their upcoming album!👀
Lollapalooza Berlin
Photo courtesy: Lollapalooza Berlin
The crowd was packed with excited Carats waiting to see what kind of stage SEVENTEEN was going to put on, and we can confidently say that everyone left the show as excited as when they got there. They not only blew us away but everyone in Berlin as well!
Setlist
‘Super’
‘Don Quixote’
‘Darl+ing’
‘Ready to Love’
‘Rock with you’
‘Left & Right’
BSS – ‘Fighting’
Vocal Unit – ‘Cheers to youth’
Performance Unit ‘Spell’
HipHop Unit ‘Fire’
Leader Line – ‘Cheers’
‘Clap’
‘Maestro’
‘SOS’
‘HOT’
‘Headliner’
‘Together’ (Eng Ver.)
‘God of Music’
‘Aju Nice’
If you’ve ever been to a SEVENTEEN show, then you’ve heard a handful of these tracks live and know how well they can perform. So, we expected some of these tracks because they do like to pull out their top hits for moments like this. Some of our favorite track performances had to be ‘Headliner,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘Hot,’ ‘Maestro,’ and, of course, the never-ending ‘Aju Nice.’ We know you have been seeing the fancams from that day 😉
You can watch the full performance on their official YouTube channel. The boys always put on one hell of a show, but this one is just different, making history; while it was Jeonghan’s last performance for a little while, sadly, we were missing Jun.
It Will Always Be 13
Okay, so we got the news about Jun and Jeonghan around the same time; PLEDIS let Carats know that neither will be going on their upcoming tour nor will they be participating in album promotions, but they did film some stuff for the album beforehand, which is good! So Jun is currently in China diving into more acting, and Jeonghan will be starting his Military Service on September 26th. We also want to mention that Seungkwan has been appointed public relations ambassador for Jeju Island, which we know is a big deal for him as he is a Jeju Native. And a possible collab between Vernon and DJ Khaled? We’re proud of all the boys!
12th Mini Album
So we got our first teaser of the upcoming 12th mini-album, pictures, and the album name! Pledis first tweeted the 12th mini-album teaser, and we were shown a subway with the words “I Felt Helpless” as the standout. We can also see the words, labeled from one to three, “SEVENTEEN,” “HELPLESS,” and “BLUE” on a sign in the subway, with “M12,” “1014,” and “1800” right beside them. If you’ve been here long, you know everything in a teaser is a clue, so we know most, if not all, of the words are important.
Soon after that, we got the teaser pictures where all 13 guys are basically floating or submerged under the water, and honestly, just from these first pics, we know they’re gonna eat up the concept. And now, onto the most important part. Drumroll, please! The upcoming mini-album will be called Spill The Feels. From that name alone, we know we will most definitely also be in our own feels. We also got the title track, which is called ‘Speak Up,’ its release date, which is 10.14.24, as well as the teaser, which you can watch below!
You can pre-order and pre-save the album here. We can also expect these songs to be performed at their upcoming U.S. Tour; you can get more info about that from our coverage here.
Carats, we all know when an album is around the corner, we should expect more news and announcements leading up to it. So keep your eyes peeled and ears open, and we’ll do the same!
How excited are you for Spill The Feels? Which SEVENTEEN news was your favorite? Let us know in the comments down below or over on Twitter @thehoneypop, and don’t forget to talk to us on Facebook and Instagram!
And if you want more SEVENTEEN content while waiting for Spill The Feels, we gotchu!
The first half of 2024 is over! And we at THP can’t wait to see how the rest of the year will treat us. For now, let’s discuss this month’s K-POP HOTSPOT. June’s K-Pop comebacks blew all our expectations out of the water! We got so many refreshing summer bops and bangin’ new anthems.
Honey bees we know June was a busy one and July is just about to be just as busy but we have some news for you! GI-DLE are finally coming back with their 7th mini album I SWAY on July 8th, they have already started dropping teasers for it and we couldn’t be more excited! But that’s not all the girls are also going to be launching their new world tour iDOL. The tour kicks off on August 3rd in Seoul and we wish all of you wanting to go the best of luck! We hope to grab tickets during the hopefully soon to be released
Speaking of tours, MoAs we have some amazing news for you TXT are bringing their tour as a VR theatre concert tour called HYPERFOCUS : TOMORROW X TOGETHER VR CONCERT to the US and you can catch it in a theatre near you starting off on August 8th in LA! Make sure you watch the teaser for it here because we are hyped!
Now let’s focus on more music releases as Kim Jaejoong is about to celebrate his 20th anniversary with a new album called Flower Garden and in order to kick the celebrations off Jaejoong already released the pre-release song ‘I AM U,‘ and it couldn’t have been better!
But that’s not all when it comes to music our favorite new SM boy group RIIZE is thriving with their newest mini album and to make it even better the boys also released a remix album dedicated to ‘Impossible’ through long-term SM project iSCREAM. This bops hard and we will be raving to it throughout the summer! Stream it here.
Now as a last piece of exciting news you know we always love SEVENTEEN and the boys have now been appointed UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. Every day that goes by the boys make us happier and prouder of them. The ceremony for it took place on June 26th in Paris and the boys looked absolutely amazing.
Okay lads! That’s all it’s time to get into this month’s releases!
WAYV
Let’s kick off our June K-POP hotspot with the best news ever! WayV is back with their fifth mini-album, Give Me That. The title track, ‘Give Me That,’ is a catchy love anthem in the Chinese and Korean versions. (Because what can’t they do?) And WayV’s music videos never disappoint! Their new EP has absolutely no skips, and our favorite b-sides are ‘She A Wolf’ and ‘New Ride.’
Our favorite duo is back! AKMU’s new EP, Love Episode, is finally here! The whimsical title track ‘Hero’ has such a soothing vibe. Their concepts and visuals never fail to amaze us, and the music video for ‘Hero’ healed our inner child. We could listen to ‘Long D’ and ‘Answer Me’ all day. Leave it to AKMU to give us the vibes we need throughout the summer.
The girl groups this year really do not play around! BADVILLAIN’s debut single, OVERSTEP, beat all of our expectations. The title track, ‘BADVILLAIN,’ is the hip-hop banger we’ve needed, and our villain era starts now. The fire verses and choreography really speak for themselves. And these girls blessed us with a killer music video for ‘YAH-HO (BADTITUDE)’ and a performance video for ‘+82!’ We’ll be stanning until further notice, thanks.
A month with a single from Lovelyz Yein will always be a good one! Yein celebrates her birthday with ‘I Will Be Your Spring,’ a cute and romantic ballad marking the end of the season. And it sounds even more lovely than we expected (as if that were possible!) The music video has the sweetest vibes, taking us back to our high school years and crushes.
June was truly a good month for new music, especially when the outstanding vocals of Han Seung Woo joined the fresh releases. SCENE may only have three tracks, but the number doesn’t matter when the quality is superb. The title, ‘Blooming,’ feels perfect for the warm season, giving us a feeling of freedom and positivism. A little encouragement to live our lives the way we want is always welcome. We are also not able to keep away from the two B-sides, giving us a different experience that is not something you’d want to miss out on. Have you checked the special clips for ‘Lost’ and ‘Stay’ yet?
Get ready if you haven’t checked this one out yet. You will have an ‘Awesome day’ with GHOST9 and their latest release. This single is screaming summer song, and we are stacking our playlists for the warm season every chance we have. Adding GHOST9 just makes them even better. Don’t tell us you would skip this song when it’s right here, waiting for much-deserved appreciation.
There is nothing that warms up our hearts the way the guys from INFINITE do with their music. They showcased the sweetest vocals in their special anniversary single, ‘Flower,’ proving their uniqueness again. We got emotional and melted repeatedly while we listened and even more while watching the special Live clip prepared for us. Seeing the members perform in a sunflower-filled area made the experience even more memorable. It is impossible not to fall in love with INFINITE’s charm and sound. If we are their flower, then they are our suns.
Our queens are back to save the summer right when it starts! cignature has released their fifth EP, Sweetie but Saltie. And is it a bop? Of course, it is! The title track, ‘Poongdung,’ makes it easy to get up and dance along. We always love their refreshing and fun music videos! cignature delivers on their b-sides as always, ‘I like I like’ (both versions!) and ‘Melody.’ These girls slayed this comeback!
CSR has dropped their new single album, L’heure Bleue: Prologue, and we’ve been replaying these two songs for weeks! The title track, ‘Pretty Mob,’ is a masterpiece from start to finish! From the groovy vibe to the music video visuals, we’re addicted to CSR. These girls even directed their special music video for ‘HELLO!’ We absolutely loved this comeback and hope CSR can get the recognition they deserve!
SUPER JUNIOR songs always get us in a good mood with their fun sound and humorous music videos. ‘Show Time’ feels like we’re attending a one-song concert that starts with an impactful high note and carries just the right track to groove to with our favorite 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸 stars. You’d catch us vibing to the track when we hear it and learning to follow the dance while enjoying their show-stopping music video.
Second-gen king XIA is back with a summer single celebrating his 20th anniversary since his debut! ‘Our Season’ is a rock ballad with a lovely message and XIA’s lovelier high notes. Yeo Jin Goo stars in the bright and nostalgic music video. We’re glad XIA also gave us the instrumental version of ‘Our Season’ because that guitar solo at the end really sealed the deal for us.
TRENDZ brightened our summer playlists like the shining seven meteors that they are. Their latest single album, DREAMLIKE, offers us a good time, but we always enjoy the musical ride with this group. The title track won us with its bright vibes, giving us a feel-good track to love. We’re just mesmerized by their ‘GLOW’ and that choreography. And we simply can’t take our eyes off of it. We also recommend you listen to the energy-inducing B-side, ‘Out of Control.’
Next in our June hotspot is Candy Shop’s first comeback with Girls Don’t Cry! This mini-album has four tracks, and we didn’t skip through a single song. The title track, ‘Don’t Cry,’ sounds like a perfect addition to your summer soundtrack. Their music video feels like a dream, and the visuals are amazing! And rounding out the rest of the EP, ‘Tumbler (Hot & Cold)’ and ‘Welcome To My World’ are title track-worthy b-sides.
Nobody talk to us right now. We’re too busy crying over Weki Meki’s disbandment to function. Their song, ‘CoinciDestiny,’ hits us right in the feels. It sounds so bittersweet, and we couldn’t help getting emotional over the music video. The girls go on a scavenger hunt, finding clues that ultimately bring them back together. We wish them the best and will continue to support them wherever they go!
WOOAH’s back with a brand new concept! Their latest mini-album, Unframed, has taken over our playlists. The rock title track, ‘POM POM POM,’ is edgy and empowering. The girls sing about being their biggest cheerleaders, and they ate this song up, especially the rap verses. We’re glad to be here to witness WOOAH experiment with different concepts, and we’re replaying this EP all summer.
If we’re talking about summer vibes, we must talk about BTOB Peniel’s new single, ‘MIoBI (Make It or Break It)!’ It’s been too long since we got a solo comeback from Peniel. But we’ll wait forever if it’s a banger like ‘MIoBI’ is! This addictive track stole our hearts, especially with how solid Peniel’s vocals are. He has an incredible range, and we can’t wait for more music!
H1-KEY is SO back! Their third EP, LOVE or HATE, has high-quality songs one after the other. The title track, ‘Let It Burn,’ is a badass breakup anthem. We’re here for the rock vibes, and these girls did not let us down! H1-KEY also wrote the lyrics for their catchy b-side ‘letter,’ making it even more memorable. Another no-skips mini-album for June’s K-POP Hotspot!
SF9’s Hwiyoung is back with his first single album, Traveling Fish! We’re so in love with the relaxing lead single, ‘It Is Love ❤️.’ And Hwiyoung even blessed us with a music video and live clip of ‘It Is Love ❤️!’ We can’t get enough of his sweet voice and English lyrics. Traveling Fish also features his previous singles’ Drive5′ and ‘HBD,’ as if we haven’t replayed them enough already!
June is THE month for new singles! Only four months after his full album release, iKON’s DK has just released his latest single, ‘Umbrella!’ We weren’t expecting to be moved to tears because of DK, but here we are. ‘Umbrella’ feels like the type of song we’d listen to before we fall asleep. DK sings about comforting a lover and letting them cry as much as they need, which is enough to soothe us on our worst days.
We always have a soft spot for TWS. These boys have just released their second mini-album, Summer Beat! The title track, ‘If I’m S, Can You Be My N?’ is bubbly and so much fun to hear! Their music video makes this track even more enjoyable. We’re also obsessed with their b-sides ‘Keep On’ and ‘Fire Confetti.’ Whatever you do, don’t sleep on TWS’s vocals and concepts!
Do our ears deceive us? N.Flying is back with a new single, and we’re hyped! ‘Into You’ is an upbeat summer track about someone who is so in love that they can’t help but confess! It doesn’t matter if they look like fools; they just want to give as much affection as possible. We already can’t wait for the next comeback!
The ever-iconic U-KISS is back with a new EP! When they released ‘Morse Code’ back in April, we thought we’d have to wait a while before their next release. But we’re so glad to be proven wrong! Their 13th mini-album, Let’s Get Started, has us falling in love with them all over again. The title track ‘Stay With Me’ has U-KISS’s signature sound with a killer guitar instrumental. And they sure gave us nostalgia with a new version of ‘Man Man Ha Ni!’
SHINee will always and forever have a special place in our hearts, and the fact that they never disappoint us is one of the reasons why. After what felt like a draught, Key finally gives us a bit of food with his newest single, ‘Tongue Tied.’ Can we just say this is exactly what we needed to end the month of June with? The song fits right in with Key’s previous albums. This futuristic but mysterious sound is what suits him so well. ‘Tongue Tied’ and his b-side ‘Fresh’ have been on repeat!
Guess who else debuted this month? Project group B.D.U has released their first-ever EP, Wishpool! B.D.U features Bitsaeon (MONT), Seunghun (CIX), Jay Chang (ONEPACT), and Kim Min-Seo. AKA four incredible vocalists, dancers, and all-rounders. The mini-album’s title track, ‘My One,’ is so high quality it’s hard to believe it’s only their debut! We also love the b-side ‘Forget All’ and the ballad ‘Everlasting Miracle.’ Congrats on debuting, B.D.U!
NCT WISH came back with their second Japanese single album, Songbird! And one of our favorite things about these boys is their youthful and fun concept! The title track, ‘Songbird,’ embodies that perfectly, from the music video to the dance break. We’d play this track any time we need a mood booster, especially on our way to and from work!
Name an artist that’s more well-rounded than ROCKY. That’s a tough one, right? He just released his new EP, Blank, comprised of four tracks you won’t want to skip! The music video for ‘Jealousy’ shows off his talents as a dancer and actor. ROCKY sings about being overcome with jealousy and not wanting to share his lover’s affections. The vibes are it! We can’t get enough of this anthem.
What a jam-packed month! June’s K-POP HOTSPOT has been blessed with new additions to our vacation playlist, and we couldn’t be happier!
What was your favorite June comeback? Which ones are you most excited about for next month? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @TheHoneyPOP!
TORNIO, Finland/KARLSKRONA, Sweden, July 3 (Reuters) – High above a railway bridge spanning a foaming river just outside the Arctic Circle, Finnish construction workers hammer away at a project that will smooth the connections from NATO’s Atlantic coastline in Norway to its new border with Russia.
“We will be removing some 1,200 of these one by one,” says site manager Mika Hakkarainen, holding up a rivet.
Until February 2022, the 37-million euro ($41 million) electrification of this short stretch of rail – the only rail link between Sweden and Finland – simply promised locals a chance to catch a night train down to the bright lights of Stockholm.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, that changed.
Now Finland is part of NATO, and Sweden hopes to join soon.
As the alliance reshapes its strategy in response to Russia’s campaign, access to these new territories and their infrastructure opens ways for allies to watch and contain Moscow, and an unprecedented chance to treat the whole of northwest Europe as one bloc, nearly two dozen diplomats and military and security experts told Reuters.
“PUT RUSSIA AT RISK”
The Finnish rail improvements around Tornio on the Swedish border are one example. Due for completion next year, they will make it easier for allies to send reinforcements and equipment from across the Atlantic to Kemijarvi, an hour’s drive from the Russian border and seven hours from Russia’s nuclear bastion and military bases near Murmansk in the Kola peninsula.
Among forces based there, Russia’s Northern Fleet includes 27 submarines, more than 40 warships, around 80 fighter planes and stocks of nuclear warheads and missiles, data collected by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) shows.
In a military conflict with NATO, the Fleet’s main task would be to secure control of the Barents Sea and stop ships bringing reinforcements from North America to Europe through the waters between Greenland, Iceland and the UK.
That’s something Finland can help NATO resist.
“It’s all about containing those kinds of capabilities from the north,” retired U.S. Major General Gordon B. Davis Jr. told Reuters.
Maps showing marine traffic through the Baltic
Besides opening its territory, Helsinki is buying the right assets, particularly fighter jets, “to add value to (the) northeastern defence and, frankly, in a conflict put Russia at risk,” he said.
Sweden’s contribution will, by 2028, include a new generation of submarines in the Baltic Sea that Fredrik Linden, Commander of Sweden’s First Submarine Flotilla, says will make a big difference in protecting vulnerable seabed infrastructure and preserving access – currently major security headaches, as the September 2022 destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines read more showed.
“With five submarines we can close the Baltic Sea,” Linden told Reuters. “We will cover the parts that are interesting with our sensors and with our weapons.”
Analysts say the change is not before time. Russia has been actively developing its military and hybrid capabilities in the Arctic against the West, partly under the cover of international environmental and economic cooperation, the FIIA’s Deputy Director Samu Paukkunen told Reuters. Russia’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Paukkunen’s institute estimates Western armed forces are militarily about 10 years behind Russia in the Arctic.
Even with the losses that Russia has sustained in Ukraine, the naval component of the Northern Fleet and the strategic bombers remain intact, Paukkunen said.
NATO-member Denmark phased out its submarine fleet in 2004, part of a move to scale back its military capabilities after the end of the Cold War, and it has yet to decide on future investments. Norway is also ordering four new submarines, with delivery of the first due in 2029.
“It seems to me that we have some catching up to do, because we haven’t done it properly for the last 25 years,” said Sebastian Bruns, a senior researcher into maritime security at Kiel University’s Institute for Security Policy.
Maps showing marine traffic through the Baltic
“A WHOLE PIECE”
Both developments show how the expanded alliance will reshape Europe’s security map. The region from the Baltic in the south to the high north may become almost an integrated operating area for NATO.
“For NATO it’s quite important to have now the whole northern part, to see it as a whole piece,” Lieutenant Colonel Michael Maus from NATO’s Allied Command Transformation told Reuters. He chaired the working group which led Finland’s military integration into NATO.
“With (existing) NATO nations Norway and Denmark, now we have a whole bloc. And thinking about potential defence plans, it’s for us a huge step forward, to consider it as a whole area now.”
This became clear in May, when Finland hosted its first Arctic military exercise as a NATO member at one of Europe’s largest artillery training grounds 25 km above the Arctic Circle.
The nearby town of Rovaniemi, known to tourists as the home of Santa Claus, is also the base of Finland’s Arctic air force and would serve as a military hub for the region in case of a conflict. Finland is investing some 150 million euros to renew the base to be able to host half a new fleet of 64 F-35 fighter jets, due to arrive from 2026.
An undated artist’s rendition depicts divers and an unmanned vehicle exiting the A26 submarine. Saab AB/Handout via REUTERS
For the May manoeuvres, nearly 1,000 allied forces from the United States, Britain, Norway and Sweden filled the sparse motorways as they joined some 6,500 Finnish troops and 1,000 vehicles.
Captain Kurt Rossi, Field Artillery Officer of the U.S. Army, led a battery bringing in an M270 multiple rocket launcher.
It was first shipped from Germany across the Baltic Sea, then trucked nearly 900 km to the north.
“We haven’t been this close (to Russia) and been able to train up in Finland before,” Rossi said.
If there was a conflict with Russia in the Baltic Sea area – where Russia has significant military capabilities at St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad – the shipping lane NATO used for that exercise would be vulnerable. Finland relies heavily on maritime freight for all its supplies – customs data shows almost 96% of its foreign trade is carried across the Baltic.
The east-west railway link across the high north will open up an alternative, which could prove crucial.
“I think the Russians can quite easily interrupt the cargo transportation by sea so basically this northern route is the only accessible route after that,” said Tuomo Lamberg, manager for cross border operations at Sweco, the Swedish company designing the electrification.
Maps showing marine traffic through the Baltic
“NOTHING BEATS THEM”
But that risk, too, may recede when Sweden joins NATO.
Down beneath the Baltic Sea waterline, the submarine commander Linden shows a reporter the captain’s quarters of the Gotland, one of four submarines currently in Sweden’s fleet, which will bring NATO’s total in the Baltic countries to 12 by 2028.
The Kiel institute expects Russia to add one to three submarines in the coming years, to bring its Baltic submarine total to four, along with its fleet of around six modern warships. Its capabilities at Kaliningrad also include medium-range ballistic missiles.
“This can be the loneliest place in the world,” says Linden, who captained the vessel for many years. On a typical mission, which lasts two to three weeks, there is no communication with headquarters, he said.
The Gotlands, like Germany’s modern Type 212 submarines, will be among NATO’s most advanced non-nuclear submarines and can stay out of port for significantly longer than most other conventional models, the researcher Bruns said read more .
“I would say, without a doubt, that the Gotland-class and the German Type 212 are the most capable non-nuclear submarines in the world,” said Bruns.
“There is nothing that beats them, quite literally. In terms of how quiet they are, the engines they use, they are particularly quiet and very maneuverable.”
In submarine warfare, Linden said, the primary question is where the adversary is. A careless crew member dropping a wrench or slamming a cupboard door can lead to detection.
“We talk quietly on board,” Linden said. “You shouldn’t believe … films where orders are shouted.”
The Gotland is based at Karlskrona, about 350 km across the Baltic from Kaliningrad. With an average of 1,500 vessels per day trafficking the Baltic according to the Commission on Security and Cooperation In Europe, it is one of the world’s busiest seaways – and there is really only one way out, the Kattegatt Sea between Denmark and Sweden.
The shallow and crowded seaway can only be accessed through three narrow straits that submarines can’t pass through without being detected.
LISTENING POWERS
If any of the straits were to be closed, the sea freight traffic to Sweden and Finland would be hit hard and the Baltic states completely cut off. But with Sweden in the alliance, that becomes more preventable, because Sweden’s submarines will add to NATO’s listening powers.
Linden says the Gotland’s crew can sometimes hear Russia’s vessels. The range of sound travel varies partly depending on the seasons. In winter, he said, you can hear as far as the island of Oeland – just a bit further than the distance between London and Birmingham in the UK.
“You can lie outside Stockholm and hear the chain rattling on Oeland’s northern buoy,” Linden said. “In the summer you can hear maybe 3,000 meters.”
By 2028, once Sweden takes delivery of a new design of vessel, this capacity will increase. The new design, known as A26, will allow submarine crews to deploy remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), combat divers or autonomous systems of some sort without putting the submarine or crew at risk, Bruns said.
“Depending on the mission it could be an ROV that safeguards a pipeline or data cable, it could be combat divers that go ashore in the cover of darkness, it could be almost anything.”
That capacity will increase Sweden’s scope to control comings and goings through the Baltic.
“If you count all the forces, with Germany in the lead and Sweden and Finland coming on board, all those have really shifted the balance in the Baltic Sea quite significantly,” said Nick Childs, Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“It would make it very difficult for the Russian Baltic Sea fleet to operate in a free way,” he said. “But it could … still pose challenges for NATO.”
Anne Kauranen reported from Tornio, Johan Ahlander from Karlskrona; additional reporting from Gwladys Fouche in Oslo, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Sabine Siebold in Brussels; Edited by Sara Ledwith
AMSTERDAM, June 13 (Reuters) – A Dutch intelligence agency tipped off the CIA about an alleged Ukrainian plan in June 2022 to blow up the Nord Stream pipeline, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday.
The NOS report, which was compiled with help from leading German media outlets, did not identify its sources.
It said that the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD had warned the CIA of the existence of such a plan, leading to a warning from Washington to Kyiv not to attack the pipeline.
Unexplained explosions ruptured both Nord Stream 1 and the newly built Nord Stream 2 pipelines, carrying gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, in September.
The blasts occurred in the economic zones of Sweden and Denmark. Both countries said the explosions were deliberate, but have yet to determine who was responsible. Those countries and Germany are investigating.
Washington and NATO called the incident “an act of sabotage”. Moscow accused investigators of dragging their feet and trying to conceal who was behind the attack. Ukraine denies responsibility.
The MIVD could not immediately be reached for comment.
Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Conor Humphries
COPENHAGEN, March 24 (Reuters) – Air force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said on Friday they have signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence aimed at countering the rising threat from Russia.
The intention is to be able to operate jointly based on already known ways of operating under NATO, according to statements by the four countries’ armed forces.
The move to integrate the air forces was triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters.
“Our combined fleet can be compared to a large European country,” Dam said.
Norway has 57 F-16 fighter jets and 37 F-35 fighter jets with 15 more of the latter on order. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets and 64 F-35s on order, while Denmark has 58 F-16s and 27 F-35s on order. Sweden has more than 90 Gripens jets.
It was unclear how many of those planes were operational.
The signing at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week was attended by NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker, who also oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region.
Sweden and Finland applied to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance last year. But the process has been held up by Turkey, which along with Hungary has yet to ratify the memberships.
The Nordic air force commanders first discussed the closer cooperation at a meeting in November in Sweden.
“We would like to see if we can integrate our airspace surveillance more, so we can use radar data from each other’s surveillance systems and use them collectively,” Dam said. “We are not doing that today.”
Reporting by Johannes Birkebaek and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; additional reporting by Terje Solsvik, Niklas Pollard and Anne Kauranen; Editing by Nick Macfie
ANKARA, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Turkey summoned ambassadors of nine Western countries including the United States and Sweden on Thursday to criticise their decisions to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts following Koran-burning incidents in Europe.
The envoys of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Britain were also summoned, according to foreign ministry sources in Ankara.
Over the last two weeks, far-right activists burned copies of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, acts that prompted Turkey to halt negotiations meant to lift its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
The European countries have denounced the incidents but some say they cannot prevent them because of free speech rules.
Over the last week, France, Germany, Italy and the United States were among those issuing warnings to their citizens of an increased risk of attacks in Turkey, particularly against diplomatic missions and non-Muslim places of worship.
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Germany, France and the Netherlands were among countries that temporarily closed diplomatic missions in Turkey for security reasons this week. Some cited central Istanbul areas of high concern but did not provide the source of the information.
“Such simultaneous activities do not constitute a proportional and commonsense approach and…only serve the covert agenda of terrorist organizations,” said a foreign ministry source who asked not to be further identified.
The source added that the security of all diplomatic missions is ensured in accordance with international conventions and “allies should cooperate with” Turkish authorities.
The interior minister, Suleyman Soylu, said on Twitter the embassies were waging “a new psychological war” against Turkey.
All 30 NATO members must approve newcomers. Sweden and Finland applied for membership last year in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but ran into surprise resistance from Turkey.
Since then they have sought to win its backing including agreeing to take a harder line domestically against those Turkey says are members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Ankara and the European Union.
On Thursday, police in NATO member Norway banned a planned anti-Islam protest including the burning of the Koran for security reasons, hours after the Turkish foreign ministry summoned Oslo’s ambassador to complain.
Diplomatic tensions rose last weekend when Turkey responded to the initial U.S. security alert by warning its citizens against “possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks” in the United States and Europe.
The U.S. embassy confirmed its Ambassador Jeffry Flake attended a meeting at Turkey’s foreign ministry on Thursday. Two European diplomatic sources said envoys from Germany, France and the Netherlands were also summoned.
Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Alison Williams, Peter Graff and Mark Heinrich
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