The Polish Foreign Ministry has joined other NATO members in advising its citizens not to travel to Ukraine amid fears of Russian aggression.

In a statement on Saturday, the Polish MFA said the situation in Ukraine is changing quickly „due to Russian Federation’s military and political escalation.”

Polish citizens currently in the separatist-controlled regions of Donbas and Luhansk or in Russia-controlled Crimea are advised to leave immediately due to a „serious threat to civilians” and the inability to provide consular assistance in these regions.

According to reports by the BBC, more than a dozen countries have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany.

The US State Department announced yesterday it will move most embassy functions from the capital of Kyiv to Lviv, near the Polish border. In line with similar moves by Germany and Netherlands, the US will keep a skeleton staff in Kyiv while moving most staff to Lviv „due to the continued threat of Russian military action.”

Source: Radio Poland, state.gov, BBC

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Polish Home Army, the official Polish resistance force during WWII.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a message on Sunday that Home Army soldiers „helped preserve the identity of our national community and its patriotic spirit during those difficult times when Poland was threatened by two hostile totalitarian empires,” Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

The Home Army was an official resistance force created on February 14, 1942, and loyal to the Polish government-in-exile in London. According to many historians, the Home Army was the largest and best-organized underground army in German-occupied Europe during WWII, numbering around 380,000 soldiers at its peak in the summer of 1944.

Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk

Health Minister Adam Niedzielski predicts a decline in the number of coronavirus infections over the next few weeks.

In a post on Twitter yesterday, Niedzielski pointed to a decrease in the weekly average number of test orders „from 76, 000 to 42, 000… during this time, the percentage of positive tests also decreased from 36 to 29 percent.” Niedzielski went on to predict that „this week we will face further drops in the number of infections.”

On Sunday, the Ministry of Health confirmed 22,070 new coronavirus cases, including 2,037 re-infections and 31 additional deaths.

Source: PAP

Winter holidays or „feria” began last weekend for schoolchildren in Pomerania and four other voivodships in Poland.

Since 2003, the Minister of Education has set a rotating winter holiday schedule, with Pomerania among the last provinces to observe winter break this year.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, last year’s winter holidays were held at one time throughout the country, right after the Christmas and New Year break. This year’s winter holidays in Pomerania will last until the 27th of February.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

In conjunction with the feria holidays, many cultural institutions in Sopot offer workshops, day camps, and special exhibits for schoolchildren.

In addition to school camps, cultural institutions, including the Art Incubator, the Sopot Library, the Sopot Museum, and the State Gallery of Art, are offering a series of educational and cultural programs for the next two weeks.

The Miniteka library branch of the Sopot Library is showing a puppet theatre performance of „How the Wolf Found Love” today at 17:00, while the State Gallery of Art will be offering a „behind the scenes” tour of the gallery, followed by a series of daily workshops, including on tomorrow on famed Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

More information on other events and activities for students is available here: https://radiogdansk.pl/wiadomosci/item/138256.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Throughout the winter break, Radio Gdańsk will be offering the chance to win tickets to cinemas, museums, theaters, sports, and other events.

Every weekday from February 14-25, tune in to Radio Gdańsk between 7:00 and 8:00 to hear the question of the day. Send an SMS with your creative answer of 150 words or less to 603 06 06 06 for the chance to win a daily prize.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and cold with a strong breeze coming in from the south and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high around 7°C, or 44°F, dropping to just above freezing overnight to a low of 1°C or 33°F. Slightly warmer temps are expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain returning on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Peck/MarWer