Russian warplane crash-lands on home city
A Russian fighter jet has crashed into a residential building in the southern Russian city of Jejsk, close to the Ukrainian border, killing 13 people.
The pilots of the Su-34 aircraft reportedly ejected before it came down shortly after take-off, engulfing the nine-storey apartment block in a fireball.
The Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev denied local reports that the plane had been loaded with munitions.
The RIA news agency said the crash happened during a training flight.
Russia’s state Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case and dispatched investigators to the crash site.
Source: Reuters
PM says Poland has millions of tonnes of coal on hand
Four million tonnes of coal are stockpiled in Polish ports, according to the prime minister.
Mateusz Morawiecki said at a briefing yesterday that the country has been importing coal from all over the world for many months.
He added that the government wants voivodes to act as a link between distributors and local governments to make sure that coal reaches citizens who need it, so that everyone can be “carbon protected”.
In a meeting with the Ministry of Interior and Administration and voivodes, Morawiecki said Russia’s war with Ukraine has caused many problems, one of which was the provision of heat.
He also stressed the importance of efficient coordination between government entities at all levels in the implementation of the forthcoming Coal Act.
Source: PAP
Duda warns Russian aggression will leave millions hungry
President Andrzej Duda has told the World Food Forum that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine could result in 47 million more people suffering from chronic hunger.
Duda addressed the meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Italy yesterday, saying that Russia had prevented and then severely limited the export of food and agricultural products from Ukraine.
He spoke of how “Russia’s criminal aggression against Ukraine, driven by imperialist pride” had negative impacts not only in our region, but also in the whole world.
The president said that Poland responds to the destructive activity of Russia with constructive activity, including the export of its agricultural products through our ports.
Preliminary data shows a fourfold increase in the volume of Ukrainian grain moving through Polish ports since the start of the conflict this year.
Source: PAP
Human trafficking crimes highlighted across Europe
Today is the European Day Against Human Trafficking and Slavery.
An estimated 40 million people worldwide are trafficked, with two million more falling victim to the crime every year.
A third of those trafficked are children.
The Pomeranian Voivodeship anti-human trafficking team is one of the many organisations joining today’s effort to remind people how to recognise trafficking, and what services are available to help its victims.
Sexual exploitation and prostitution are the dominant drivers of trafficking activity, while forced labour is estimated to generate around USD150 billion in illegal profits each year.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Weather
The unseasonably mild weather will hold for one more day today before things turn colder. Temperatures will peak this afternoon at 16°C (60°F) in Gdańsk, with cloudy skies through till the evening. Overnight the mercury will slide gradually towards tomorrow’s high of 11°C (51°F), with scattered showers and some sunshine expected.
Andrew Carter
