US officials announced a new military aid package for Ukraine on Friday worth almost USD 2.2 billion and including highly sought-after longer-range rockets.
According to a statement by the US Department of Defense, the new security assistance package includes “critical air defense capabilities to help Ukraine defend its people, as well as armored infantry vehicles and more equipment that Ukraine is using so effectively, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, artillery ammunition, and conventional and long-range rockets for U.S.-provided HIMARS.”
As part of the package, Washington will provide Kyiv with Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), which have a range of 150 kilometers, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
US officials claim the new rockets will double Ukraine’s strike range in its war with Russia, now in its 346th day.
Source: Radio Poland
Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced yesterday that Poland is already in the process of training Ukrainian soldiers to operate the German-made Leopard tanks Kyiv is expecting to receive from Western allies.
Błaszczak, who also serves as Poland’s defense minister, made the announcement yesterday after meeting with Ukraine’s defense chief Oleksii Reznikov in Kyiv.
At a joint news conference after the meeting, Błaszczak claimed Ukrainian troops “will complete their training on the Leopard tanks shortly,” adding that the training program would take “a matter of weeks” rather than months.
Błaszczak was in Kyiv as part of the so-called “tank initiative,” telling reporters that efforts led by Poland to build a coalition of countries ready to provide tanks to Ukraine were “gathering pace.”
According to Błaszczak, the defense ministers of NATO countries will make final declarations regarding the transfer of Leopards to Ukraine during the next meeting of the so-called Ramstein format, set to take place mid-February in Brussels.
Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk
Polish President Andrzej Duda signed Poland’s 2023 budget into law yesterday, with economic growth estimated at 1.7 percent and inflation targeted at 9.8 percent.
Officials have said that the budget ensures full financing for the government’s key social assistance projects, including its flagship “500-plus” child benefit program along with subsidized school supplies for children nationwide.
In the budget, health spending is expected to exceed 6 percent of GDP in 2023, while defense spending is will stay at 3 percent of GDP.
When including expenditures from the extra-budgetary Armed Forces Support Fund, which is financed by government-secured bonds, Poland plans to spend 4 percent of its GDP on defense in 2023, according to officials.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
Heavy snowfall and wind paralyzed the Gdańsk airport yesterday, forcing seven planes to be diverted to other cities and resulting in the cancelation of at least three outgoing flights.
Strong winds and heavy snowfall midday Friday made it temporarily impossible for the airport to operate, forcing flights to be redirected or canceled, according to a spokesperson for the Gdańsk airport, Agnieszka Michajłow.
The affected flights, which were due to arrive from destinations in Ireland, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, were rerouted to Warsaw, Wrocław, and Poznan.
Three planes did not take off from the Gdańsk airport yesterday afternoon due to heavy snowfall and strong winds, resulting in the cancellation of a 13:10 flight to Munich, a 14:20 flight to Frankfurt, and a 14:50 flight to Warsaw.
Flights had resumed as of yesterday evening, although travelers departing today are encouraged to check their flight status due to additional snowfall in the forecast for today.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather forecasters predict another day of snowy winter weather throughout Poland, with heavy snowfall and wind gusts expected in many areas.
Due to the likelihood of sleet and wet snow, a first-degree warning for icy roads and sidewalks has been issued for the poviats of Słupsk, Lębork, Kartuski, Bytów, Chojnicki, Kościerzyna, and Starogard.
Winds will continue to push cold Arctic air from the north today, with wind gusts up to 75 km (45 miles) per hour expected along the coast.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be cloudy and cold, with snow showers throughout the day and a strong breeze coming in from the north. Temperatures will remain at or below freezing, with a high of 1°C or 33°F dropping to a low of -2°C, or 29°F overnight. Similar but less snowy weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some sunshine returning on Monday.
Elizabeth Peck/aKa
