A Brief Guide to Estonian War Bloggers

It is often said that truth is the first casualty of war. For strategic reasons, it is in the interest of warring parties to create a fog of war—minimizing their own losses while exaggerating those of the enemy, and executing misinformation campaigns. This “fog” makes it difficult to fully trust any single source of information, especially in the fast-moving and complex dynamics of modern warfare.

Given this uncertainty, assuming that any war blogger can serve as an infallible source of absolute truth would be unwise. Yet, war bloggers play a crucial role in collecting, sorting, and presenting information in a way that is accessible to the public. Recognizing whether they offer cold, hard facts, fiery opinions, or something in between is important.

Thus, it is essential to understand the sources of information a war blogger relies on, the media environment in which they operate, and their underlying motivations—whether they aim to purely report information or to influence public sentiment. These factors shape their style and determine whether they present their findings in a detached, factual manner or with passionate commentary.

With these categories in mind, we will examine four of Estonia’s most well-known war bloggers: Igor Taro, Teet Kalmus, Rainer Saks, and Artur Rehi.

Igor Taro

Igor Taro, a member of the Riigikogu and the Eesti 200 party, as well as a former journalist, kept a “Ukraine Diary” during the first phase of the Russian war of aggression in the years 2014-2016.

Sources of Information: In an interview given to the show Ringvaade (ETV, 21.12.2022), Taro stated that his sources of information were established during the first phase of the war. He highlighted several of these sources: Live Universal Awareness Map, Deep State, Censor.net, Liga.net. 

When reading Taro’s war diary, it’s important to consider that due to time constraints, he does not engage in fact-checking himself. In the same Ringvaade interview, he noted that, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression, it is impossible to pursue objectivity or maintain a neutral stance.

Media Environment: Taro primarily writes his posts on Facebook. It is also occasionally possible to read his war diary through media outlets such as Postimees and Delfi.

As Taro has become more socially active, maintaining the war diary has taken a back seat in recent times. His last extensive “Ukraine Diary” post appeared on his Facebook page on May 26. However, he has not made any public announcement regarding the end of the diary’s publication.

Motivation: Taro told Ringvaade that the main motivation for writing his war blog is to reduce people’s anxiety, which was caused by the lack of systematic information following the outbreak of full-scale war.

Style: Unfortunately, Taro’s war summaries have not been calming for everyone. In the now-closed Ypsilon publication, which appeared under Postimees, anonymous criticism was directed at Igor Taro and Teet Kalmus for allegedly using overly entertaining language when covering the war and for reporting every piece of information with excessive confidence (Ypsilon, 04.10.2022).

Journalist Mikk Salu has agreed with Ypsilon‘s criticism, noting that Taro and Kalmus have repeatedly presented unverified information as fact and made confident predictions that later turned out to be incorrect (Postimees, 20.12.2022).

Igor Taro admitted to Ringvaade that he has indeed had to adjust his language, mainly because Facebook, his primary platform, tended to remove posts where he expressed personal opinions, such as referring to Russian soldiers as “orcs.”

Additionally, his use of entertaining and colloquial language in posts has noticeably decreased. Recently, Taro has also avoided making overly confident predictions about the impact of certain events on the course of the war. This suggests that Taro’s style of presenting information has shifted from a more heated tone to one focused on cooler, factual reporting.

A distinctive feature of Igor Taro’s “Ukraine Diary” is the inclusion of a map of Ukraine in his posts, where the locations of the described events are marked for illustration.

Teet Kalmus

Entrepreneur and IT professional Teet Kalmus is primarily known to the wider public as a war blogger. Kalmus shares many similarities with Igor Taro, another prominent figure in this field. Both men write summaries of the war in Ukraine from the forests of southeastern Estonia.

Sources of Information: However, Kalmus differs from Taro and other Estonian war bloggers in his choice of sources, as he gathers most of his information from Russian war bloggers.

In an interview with Ekspress, Kalmus revealed that 90 percent of his information comes from watching Russian-language interviews on YouTube. He acknowledged during the “Ukraine Studio” program (ETV, 12.08.2024) that truth in war is highly relative. Over time, he has learned through trial and error and post-analysis which sources are more or less reliable.

According to Kalmus, when following Russian war bloggers, he frequently encounters text filled with hatred towards the West. His task is to turn this “filth” into presentable material in a more decent manner. His ability to work with such dark content makes Kalmus’s efforts particularly commendable.

Media Environment: Similar to Igor Taro, Teet Kalmus primarily writes his summaries on Facebook, but his reports can also be found on the websites of major Estonian media outlets.

Motivation: Like Taro, Kalmus’s primary motivation for his writings is to reduce anxiety. In an interview with Eesti Ekspress (13.04.2022), Kalmus explained that at first, writing his texts helped calm himself, but soon his readers also found solace while enjoying his updates with their morning coffee. This led to Kalmus gaining significant popularity and authority during the first year of the war.

Style: Kalmus has also faced criticism for his use of colloquial language and for making confident predictions that later proved to be incorrect. For instance, he received criticism from the EKRE-affiliated publication Uued Uudised for predicting too casually in Postimees that Russia’s missile stockpile would soon be depleted (Uued Uudised, 29.01.2023).

It seems that Kalmus has learned from past experiences, as his recent reports no longer include overly bold predictions. His style remains colloquial, largely because his main sources are Russian war bloggers.

For example, when Ukrainian forces occupied areas in the Kursk region in August, and the Ukrainian side remained silent about the situation, many media outlets also relied on Russian war bloggers for the few available details. Similarly, the British newspaper The Telegraph used these snippets in their daily podcast “Ukraine: The Latest“, but they repeatedly emphasized that information from Russian bloggers could not be independently verified. Readers should keep this same caution in mind when reading Teet Kalmus’s texts.

Because of this, Kalmus often doesn’t relay factual information from Russian bloggers but rather captures their moods—especially those moods that might bring some comfort to supporters of Ukraine. While Taro’s “Ukraine Diary” is marked by the inclusion of a Ukrainian map, Kalmus’s signature phrase has become: “Z-bloggers are in panic.”

Kalmus effectively fulfills the goal of creating an atmosphere that reduces anxiety and ensures that people remain engaged with, and hopeful about, the situation in Ukraine.

Rainer Saks

Rainer Saks has an impressive background, having served as a history teacher, advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director of Coordination at the State Chancellery, Director of the President’s Office, head of foreign intelligence, and Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sources of Information: Saks told Postimees (07.02.2024) that he relies on Ukrainian media, social media, and direct communication with people as his primary sources of information.

Media Environment: Two years after the start of the Russian war of aggression, Rainer Saks has become Estonia’s most popular war columnist. His articles are published in nearly every major Estonian media outlet, and he is a frequent guest on various radio and television programs. In addition, Saks was named Postimees’ Opinion Leader of the Year.

Motivation: On February 8, 2024, Saks told Pärnu Postimees that his motivation for writing daily commentaries on war events stems from the situation of his Ukrainian friends who are fighting with no break in sight: “Therefore, I cannot take a break either. As long as Ukrainians can persevere, we must also persevere.”

Style: While Taro’s skill in filtering information comes from his journalism background, and Kalmus is self-taught, Saks brings with him a wealth of experience in handling vast amounts of information from his time in public service. He has said: “When writing blog posts, I consciously choose not to use emotions. I certainly do not want to fall into the trap of propaganda. My experience in government work has taught me that people can absorb concentrated and clear information, and that is what I strive for”(Postimees 20.12.2022).

Since Saks sources his information from Ukrainian media, he often focuses more extensively on events and processes occurring within Ukrainian or Russian society. If a reader wants to know what’s happening on the front lines, it’s usually summarized in a few sentences at the end of the war report. Sometimes, however, the information found there about the progress of the war is even more significant than the preceding description.

In summary, Saks’ war reports, compared to other war bloggers, are the most focused on concrete information rather than mood-setting.

Artur Rehi

Artur Rehi, a reservist in the Estonian Defence Forces and YouTuber, stands out from other Estonian war bloggers to the extent that it’s not entirely clear whether to categorize him as an Estonian or Western war blogger.

One could even debate whether Rehi should be considered a pure information mediator, as he seems more like an activist. Rehi is an active supporter of Ukraine, having raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to purchase drones and other military equipment for the Ukrainian army.

Sources of Information: In an interview with Postimees, Artur Rehi revealed that his primary sources of information are Telegram and Twitter/X. He mentioned that he personally reviews most of the video material, while other members of his team handle reading and analyzing written reports. (Postimees 10.06.2024).

Meediakeskkond: Rehi vahendab oma YouTube’i kanalil inglise keeles ja peamiselt lääneriikidest pärit vaatajaskonnale. 

Artur Rehi differs from other war bloggers in another significant way—he earns his living as a YouTuber. His income comes from the videos he creates, as he collects ad revenue from YouTube. (Postimees 10.06.2024). 

Motivation: Artur Rehi’s main motivation is not to make money from vlogging about the war in Ukraine; rather, he is driven by patriotism and the values instilled in him through his upbringing.

Since Rehi’s goal is to actively support Ukraine materially through his war blog, it can be concluded that his motivation goes beyond simply creating a mood or narrative.

In an interview with Postimees, Rehi explained: “It’s clear: I do everything for Ukraine’s victory, and therefore also for Estonia’s freedom, because I grew up here, my children will grow up here. This is where my one and only native language and culture are, where my people are.” (Postimees 03.01.2024). 

Style: Nevertheless, money and the YouTube media environment in general dictate or force the style that Rehi uses in covering the war. You can’t survive on YouTube by dialing down emotions in a “Rainersaks-like” manner. In an interview with Postimees, Rehi said that he focuses on packaging his content properly and delivering it with flair. At the same time, he tries to approach his videos with humor, but without becoming overly emotional. He avoids using language that could cause him to lose advertising revenue. (Postimees 10.06.2024). 

To survive on YouTube, you need to catch the viewer’s attention. As a result, English-language YouTube is full of videos that, in an attempt to attract clicks, make overly bold and definitive conclusions from individual events—such as how a particular event will lead to the swift and inevitable collapse of either the Russian or Ukrainian military or state.

In his effort to compete, Artur Rehi’s video titles sometimes include premature conclusions, such as predictions about the collapse of the Russian economy. This shows that, in addition to covering the situation on the front lines, Rehi also discusses broader processes. He comments on social media posts and reacts to various videos.

Rehi’s content resonates with the public, and he has become one of the most well-known English-speaking war bloggers on YouTube. He stands out from other Estonian war bloggers with his drastically different style and is undeniably the most entertaining of them all.

Summary

All Estonian war bloggers share one common trait: they are clearly and openly on the side of Ukraine. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect a neutral or entirely objective perspective from their content. When Ukraine makes progress in the war, much more attention is paid to it, and there is strong support. Conversely, the military advancements of the Russian side are less covered and, naturally, not celebrated.

If we evaluate Estonian war bloggers on a scale from fiery entertainment to cold, fact-based reporting, Artur Rehi is the most entertaining, followed by Teet Kalmus, then Igor Taro, with Rainer Saks providing the most fact-driven and objective content.

In conclusion, all war bloggers deserve praise for dedicating so much of their time throughout the years of war to sift through the noise and present those fragments of information that help the public better understand the situation and avoid feelings of hopelessness.