The condition of two volunteers from Poland injured in a Russian attack on their aid vehicle has not changed, with officials discussing the possibility of transporting the patients back to Poland.
According to Michał Dworczyk, Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, specialists from the Humanitarian and Medical Aid Team are speaking with doctors in Dnipro about the injured volunteers and their possible transport to Poland. A decision on the matter is expected later today.
On Saturday, the Polish aid initiative „Nehemiah” reported that two of its volunteers had been injured by Russian shelling in eastern Ukraine and were later taken to a hospital in Dnipro.
One volunteer, a long-term resident of Poland from Ukraine, suffered only minor injuries, but the other volunteer, a Polish national, suffered severe abdominal injuries and remains in stable but serious condition.
Source: PAP
Russian President Vladimir Putin made a “defiant” night visit to occupied areas of Ukraine over the weekend, less than 48 hours after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
On Sunday, the Kremlin published footage of Putin’s surprise visit to Mariupol, a city that Russian troops occupied last May after a brutal siege and assault that lasted for months.
A historic theatre used as a civilian air-raid shelter and visibly marked with the word “children” was bombed by Russia during the offensive, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians sheltering there. The city itself was mostly destroyed, with the siege and its aftermath estimated to have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of inhabitants.
The visit to Mariupol followed an earlier visit by Putin to Crimea, also conducted at night and reportedly timed to coincide with the ninth anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation of the peninsula.
The New York Times called the two high-profile visits a “defiant gesture” by the Russian president, made less than 48 hours after the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Putin for war crimes and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Monday marks day 390 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP
Swedish car maker Volvo Buses recently announced it planned to close down its bus factory in Wrocław at the beginning of next year.
Employing 1,500 workers, Volvo’s bus factory in Wrocław is set to close down in the first quarter of 2024, according to a company statement issued last week.
The only Volvo company branches that will remain in Wrocław are those providing business services, including Volvo Group Digital & IT, Volvo Group Financial Control & Accounting, and Volvo Group Real Estate.
Some workers to be laid off will have the chance to secure employment with a new company, as Swedish Vargas Holding, with whom Volvo has signed a letter of intent, will take over the production facilities.
Source: Polskie Radio
The deadline for families to take advantage of the Polish Tourist Voucher program is rapidly approaching, with local officials claiming some 39,000 vouchers in Pomerania have yet to be activated.
The PLN 500 PLN vouchers (PLN 1,000 in case of a child with a certified disability) are available to families who qualify for the “Familly 500 plus” program and can be used to pay for hotel services and tourist events in Poland as well as one-day trips with attractions, such as a guided tour.
According to Krzysztof Cieszyński, regional press officer for ZUS in Pomerania, an additional 102,300 activated vouchers in Pomerania have not been used in full, with time running out to use the remaining funds.
Eligible families can activate their vouchers online through the Electronic Services Platform (PUE) of ZUS. The deadline for using any remaining voucher funds is March 31, 2023.
Information on activating the voucher and a link to tourist providers can be found here:
https://radiogdansk.pl/wiadomosci/region/2023/03/19/konczy-sie-czas-na-wykorzystanie-bonow-turystycznych-w-regionie-nieaktywowanych-jeszcze-39-tys/
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy with a chance for rain showers in the late morning and early evening, accompanied by light winds from the southwest. Temperatures will be slightly cooler than yesterday, reaching a high of 13°C or 55°F during the day with lows of 4°C or 40°F overnight. Colder and drier weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for more rain showers returning on Wednesday.
Elizabeth Peck
