Today marks the 11th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian resistance is still holding, with the Russian army unable to make any significant territorial gains in the last 24 hours. Russian rockets and missiles, including cluster bombs prohibited by international law, have hit residential quarters in several cities, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv.

Russian forces currently control the southern Black Sea port of Kherson, where they have imposed a strict curfew on the civilian population.

The Red Cross attempted to guarantee a ceasefire from 9:00 to 16:00 yesterday in order to establish humanitarian corridors from Mariupol and Volnovacha. The ceasefire did not hold due to continued Russian bomb attacks in the region, and evacuees were told to disperse and go to shelters.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benet spoke directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday about the „crisis in Ukraine,” the first meeting of a Western leader with the Russian president since the invasion. Benet was accompanied by his Minister of Housing and Construction, Zeev Elkin, who was born in Kharkiv and acted as an interpreter to the previous Israeli prime minister.

In comments yesterday, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, stated that he did not see any progress in peace negotiations with Russia but expressed his conviction that talks should continue.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Poland yesterday to meet with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Blinken met Polish officials in the city of Rzeszów, near the Polish – Ukrainian border, where tens of thousands of refugees are still feeling the violence in Ukraine by crossing into Poland.

According to reports from Reuters, Blinken praised Poland for “doing vital work to respond to this crisis” and “facilitat[ing] security assistance to Ukraine.”

Despite hosting “over 10,000 US troops” already, Morawiecki emphasized Poland’s desire to further boost US military presence in the country and have “proper military equipment… to be able to protect our sky, to be even more secure.”

In a statement last week, the US State Department described Blinken’s visit as an opportunity to “continue extensive consultations and coordination with our NATO Allies and European partners about the Russian Federation’s continued premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war against Ukraine.”

In addition to Poland, Blinken will be visiting other European leaders this week, including those in Belgium, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańk

An additional 40 refugees from Ukraine arrived in Trójmiasto overnight, with some going to Sopot and others to host families in the area.

The new arrivals, predominantly women and children, come from various regions of Ukraine, including Zaporozhe, Rivne, Lutsk, and the vicinity of Donbas. The refugees were transported by bus from the border checkpoint in Hrubieszów yesterday.

Since the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, over 827,000 people have fled across the border into Poland, according to the Polish Border Guard. Among those fleeing from the hostilities in Ukraine are Poles, as well as nationals of Uzbekistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Ghana, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States.

Over 1.3 million people have fled Ukraine already, according to reports by the United Nations. The UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, has warned that “the largest refugee crisis in a century” is only beginning, with an additional 3 million refugees expected to flee across the border into Europe in the coming weeks.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland, The Guardian

In solidarity with Ukraine and to support Ukrainians in the region, Radio Gdańsk will be broadcasting a daily Ukrainian-language information service on weekdays at 10:00 and 17:00.

Two Ukrainian journalists, Margarita Sytnik and Dmytro Wasilczuk, will present news from Ukraine in Ukrainian, along with information for refugees on how to arrange formalities and where to look for support.

Ms. Sytnik worked in Ukrainian television for 15 years as a special correspondent, and Mr. Wasilczuk has worked as a radio host and journalist in Ukraine for 18 years.

According to Mr. Wasilczuk, their mission is to highlight Ukraine’s struggle “for the peaceful future of Europe.” He went on to express his gratitude “to the Polish people for their solidarity and help” as “this is a battle for European civilization that we will win together.”

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy with very little chance of rain and light winds coming from the west. Temperatures will remain on the chilly side, with a high around 3°C, or 37°F, dropping to below freezing overnight with a low of -2°C or 29°F. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with cool temps and sunny skies expected throughout the week.

Elizabeth Peck