Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to soldiers on Ukraine’s frontline in the eastern region of Kharkiv yesterday.

The trip is Zelensky’s first documented appearance outside Kyiv since Russia invaded the country in February.

A Telegram post by the Office of the President shows Zelensky touring neighborhoods of the “2,229 buildings [that] have been destroyed in Kharkiv and the region.” While on the front line, Zelensky also checked the operational and command situation on the ground and presented state awards, commendations, and gifts to the Ukrainian troops.

In a rare move, Zelensky also fired the chief of the Security Service of Ukraine for the Kharkiv region „for the fact that he did not work on the defense of the city from the first days of the full-scale war, but thought only about himself.”

After two weeks of relative quiet, Russian forces have intensified the shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Six civilians were reportedly injured by Russian shelling in the region of Kharkiv on Saturday, and several loud explosions were heard in the city after Zelensky’s visit.

According to reports cited by Reuters, 31% of the Kharkiv region is currently occupied by Russia, with a further 5% having been taken back by Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP, BBC

Ukraine has started receiving missiles and howitzers from allies in the West as Russian forces continue to make incremental gains in the eastern Donbas region.

Over the weekend, Ukraine received a shipment of Harpoon anti-ship missiles from Denmark and self-propelled howitzers from the United States, arms that Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov hopes will bolster forces fighting Russia’s invasion.

According to Reznikov, the Harpoon shore-to-ship missiles will be used alongside Ukrainian Neptune missiles to defend the coastline, including the southern port of Odesa. After launching its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Russia imposed a naval blockade on Ukrainian ports, hampering vital grain exports. It has also used its Black Sea fleet to launch missile attacks.

In his nightly address, Ukrainian Presiden Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hopes that western partners would be willing “to provide Ukraine with everything necessary to protect freedom.” Presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych later echoed Zelensky’s optimism that “the weapons we so desperately need will most likely be delivered soon.”

Much will depend on the upcoming NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels in mid-June. „If the allies in the West do not delay,” Arestovych explained, “then around June 20, the situation on the front will change greatly in our favor.”

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

The film “EO” by veteran Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski took home the jury prize during the closing ceremony of the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday.

The film is a modern interpretation of the 1960s French cult classic “Au Hasard Balthazar (Balthazar, at Random)” by director Robert Bresson.

Rumored to have been inspired by a passage from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s 1868-69 novel “The Idiot,” the film follows the trials of a donkey born in a Polish circus, where he performs alongside a kind young artist named Kasandra, played by Polish actress Sandra Drzymalska.

After a demonstration by animal rights activists, the two are separated, and the donkey ends up in a petting zoo. He later changes owners several times, “experiencing joy and pain, and feeling the wheels of fate crushing his innocence,” according to the official synopsis.

In his memorable acceptance speech, Skolimowski specifically thanked all six of “my donkeys” used in the film.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

A mallard duck has found a surprising place to hatch and raise her ducklings, reportedly building a nest in the yard of the Dominican monastery in Gdańsk.

“According to experts” cited by the monastery, the duck family will stay in the monastery yard for some time, as the ducklings will have to learn to fly after hatching.

Monastery officials have asked the public to avoid frightening the mallard by approaching her to take pictures. Parents should also keep small children away from the area, as they could accidentally damage the hatching eggs.

Monastery officials have promised to keep the public updated about the „progress and everyday life” of the mother duck and her ducklings.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Tennis stars Iga Świątek and Hubert Hurkacz are competing today to advance to the fifth round of the French Open.

Hurkacz will face 8th-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway in the men’s singles competition at 12:15 today, while Swiątek will face 19-year-old Qinwen Zheng [Chinwin Zhong] of China at 15:15.

Source: wtatennis.com

Weather

Today will be cloudy and cool, with a good chance for rain showers throughout the day and a light breeze coming in from the north. Temperatures will peak around a high of 13°C, or 56°F, dropping to an overnight low of 7°C or 45°F. Slightly warmer weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for some mixed rain and sun in the early morning and late afternoon.

Elizabeth Peck