World wide web war

So, Russia stands accused of clandestinely sabotaging Estonia's internet system all because the latter removed a Red Army statue from a prominent place in Tallinn to a war cemetery (like the Russians have never carted away communist-era statuary). If the Estonians are convinced it's the Russians, they should go the whole hog and melt the statue down, moulding it into bullets for their guard patrols on the border with Russia, ready to give it back if the Russians want it so badly. But Finland's continuing Finlandisation (emasculation of national interest in deference to the bear on its border) can be discounted as well. Helsingin Sanomat newspaper says it can't be Russia because Russia could do far more damage if it wanted. Well, yes, it could, but to be so overt really isn't the done thing and would create a full-blown international crisis.
The basic issue is that the Russian Federation has not come to terms that Estonia is not part of its 'near abroad' but in fact an independent country, a sovereign entity with membership, not just of the international community but the EU and NATO too. It is barmy that the Russians should get so hot under the collar about an Estonian internal issue unless they still believe they have rights there. There is a large Russian minority but that should not guarantee Russia's meddling - witness Yugoslavia's collapse - and anyway, it's the fault of Russian communist leaders that they are there in the first place, intentionally settling them to try and eradicate an Estonian sense of nationhood.
It also is true that a Red Army statue represents so much more than victory in WW II - it is indicative of Russian power and its removal is, in Russian eyes at least, a diminishing of that power, an affirmation of what they have lost since 1991.
12.07pm