Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a mandatory evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the Donetsk region, citing safety and humanitarian concerns.
In a video speech on Saturday, Zelensky promised assistance for those evacuating, issuing the appeal that “the more people leave the Donetsk region, the fewer people will be killed by the Russian army…every life is important to us,” he explained, “and we will use every opportunity to save as many lives as possible and limit Russian terror as much as possible.”
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereszczuk announced the mandatory evacuation earlier on Saturday, citing concerns that the lack of gas supplies in the Donetsk Oblast would result in a loss of heating and electricity as winter approaches.
According to Vereszczuk, residents from Donetsk have the choice to refuse mandatory evacuation by signing a declaration that they are aware of the danger and take responsibility for their own lives.
Ukrainian officials estimate more than 200,000 Ukrainian citizens, including over 50,000 children, remain in the unoccupied areas of the Donetsk region.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
The US Army garrison known as “Forward Operating Site Poznan” was officially christened “Camp Kościuszko” during a ceremony held yesterday in Poznań.
Senior Polish officials, including Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, as well as representatives from the U.S. Army V Corps, took part in the event.
During the ceremony, Defense Minister Błaszczak described close relations with the US as one of the pillars of Poland’s security. It is a relationship “very much rooted in the history of both our countries,” he explained, “and one of the symbols of these relations is the figure of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a hero of the two nations.”
Born in 1746, Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian engineer and military leader who fought for both American and Polish independence, winning admirers amongst both his political allies and his foes.
Camp Kościuszko will be the new permanent headquarters of the US Army’s V Corps in Poland, the first permanent U.S. military installation on NATO’s eastern flank.
Source: Radio Poland, www.vcorps.army.mil
Thousands of Kashubians gathered in the town of Brusy near Chojnice yesterday for the 23rd annual World Congress of Kashubians.
The “Kashubian Ukraine” event paid homage to the Kashubian culture with a parade, colorful costumes, “literary gardens” with writers and researchers of Kashubian literature, traditional sporting and card games, a fair with regional Kashubian products, and live musical performances.
Several dozen participants, including the mayor of Brusy, also helped break the record for the largest number of people simultaneously playing the devil’s violin, a traditional Kashubian percussive instrument.
One of the featured musical guests was Polish-Ukrainian band “Taraka,” an ensemble particularly well-known for its song “Podaj rękę Ukrainie” or “Give a hand to Ukraine,” the unofficial anthem of the 2014 Euromaidan protests.
The World Congress of Kashubians is organized in a different regional town each year and will be held in Kartuzy in 2023.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Twin singers Kinga and Karolina Pruś will be broadcast live from Radio Gdańsk tonight as part of the recurring “Metropolia Jest Okej” series in conjunction with the Baltic Sea Cultural Center.
Hailing from the region of Warmia-Mazury, the twins’ unique blend of melancholy love ballads and „electrified” alternative anthems mirrors their diverse individual temperaments. The duo’s second album, “Dar” or „Gift,” was released in April this year and contains eleven songs with various themes and styles.
The concert will begin shortly after 20:00 tonight and will be broadcast live on air, as well as on the website and Facebook profiles of Radio Gdańsk and Nadbałtyckie Centrum Kultury.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a slight chance of rain in the morning and a gentle breeze coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 19°C, or 67°F, dropping to an overnight low of 12°C or 54°F. Much warmer weather and sunshine are expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain returning later in the week.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
