US officials have announced the biggest package yet of military aid to Ukraine, worth USD 1 billion, as well as USD 4.5 billion in direct budgetary support.
The US Pentagon said that the new, 18th military package provides “a significant amount of additional ammunition, weapons, and equipment – the types which the Ukrainian people are using so effectively to defend their country.”
The package includes additional ammunition for the popular High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS); 1,000 Javelin portable anti-tank missiles, Claymore mines, C-4 explosives and other demolition equipment, and medical supplies, including 50 armored medical treatment vehicles, first-aid kits, bandages, monitors, and other necessary medical equipment.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also announced an additional USD 4.5 billion “in direct budgetary support to the government of Ukraine to help alleviate the acute budget deficit caused by Putin’s brutal war of aggression.”
According to USAID, the direct budgetary support will be distributed via the World Bank and will enable Kyiv “to carry out core functions – for example, keeping gas and electricity flowing to hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure, supporting the provision of humanitarian supplies to citizens, and continuing to pay the salaries of civil servants, healthcare workers, and teachers.”
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
On the anniversary of the last Belarusian election, Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau told those oppressed by the Belarusian regime that “a free Belarus will come.”
Rau posted his message of solidarity via Twitter yesterday, on the two-year anniversary of the last Belarusian presidential election, officially won by the incumbent head of state Alexander Lukashenko.
The election of Lukashenko over opposition leader Sviatlana Tsihanouskaya sparked a wave of mass protests across Belarus. Many countries, including the United States and member states of the European Union, refused to recognize the election results, calling them “fraudulent.”
Tsikhanouskaya was forced to flee to Lithuania after Lukashenko ordered a crackdown on protesters, with authorities resorting to violence, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and detentions.
Since August 2020, Tsikhanouskaya has been working in exile abroad and recently announced the creation of a transitional Belarusian government to oppose Lukashenko and return democracy and the rule of law to Belarus.
Source: Radio Poland
Polish swimmer Bartłomej Kubkowski is currently attempting to become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea.
Kubkowski, who is from the northeastern town of Giżycko, embarked on his record-breaking, 170-kilometer attempt on Monday morning from the port of Kołobrzeg. He expected to cover the distance from Poland to Sweden in less than 60 hours, arriving in Ystad sometime on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday morning, the swimmer was already halfway through to the Swedish coast, near Bornholm Island, according to local media reports.
The Polish swimmer is accompanied by his team, which gives him directions and special regenerative meals from a nearby boat, organizers said.
As well as attempting to make swimming history, Kubkowski is also raising funds for children with cancer, rmf24.pl reported. More information on his “Ultra Baltic Swim” can be found on his Instagram page.
Source: Radio Poland
Lovers of art have the opportunity to see a unique exhibit in Sopot featuring patriotic, surreal, and magical works by established and up-and-coming Polish artists.
The Grand Hotel in Sopot will host an exhibition and auction organized by DESA Unicum, featuring works by outstanding masters of fantasy art, including Zdzisław Beksiński and Tomasz Sętowski, alongside the patriotic painting heritage of the Kossak family.
Contemporary works by young artists such as Bożena Sieczyńska and Marcin Tomaszewski will also be on display this week, with many of the paintings set to be auctioned off from August 11-13.
Additional information on the auction and the exhibited works can be found on the website of DESA Unicum at desa.pl.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny and warm, with very little chance of rain during the day and a light breeze coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 22°C, or 71°F, dropping to an overnight low of 12°C or 54°F. Warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with temperatures continuing to rise as the week progresses.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
