Russian officials say they’re planning a limited ceasefire in Ukrainian cities today to allow civilians to move to safety – though Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the promise as a cynical propaganda ploy.
Two earlier attempts at ceasefires in the Ukraine conflict failed.
Zelensky said in a late-night online address that civilians trying to take advantage of supposed safe passage on Monday received instead „Russian tanks, Russian Grad rockets, [and] Russian mines”.
The United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has called on Russia and Ukraine to ensure safe passage for civilians fleeing the fighting.
Russian shelling is still preventing people from leaving many besieged cities including Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol. Conditions in the port city of Mariupol are reported to be especially dire, with shortages of food, water, heat and medicine. Overnight, Russian planes bombed the cities of Sumy and Ochtyrka, killing at least 14 people including children, according to local authorities.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a third round of talks yesterday, with a fourth round due today.
Source: thetimes.co.uk, bbc.com, apnews.com
Ukraine claims killing of Russian general
The Ukrainian state news agency has reported the death of a Russian general in fighting in the suburbs of Kharkiv.
Major General Vitaly Gerasimov was chief of staff of the Russian 41st army, and had been awarded a medal for his participation in the annexing of Crimea. He also took part in the second Chechen war, and the Russian military operation in Syria.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence department confirmed that Gerasimov, along with other senior Russian officers, had been killed by Ukrainian forces.
Source: polskieradio24.pl
Tri City refugees sign up for work
Ukrainian refugees in the Tri City area are seeking work through Gdańsk’s Labour Office, with 60 new registrations yesterday. More than 200 refugees have signed up with the agency since the start of the war twelve days ago.
Last week the Labour Office sent emails to thousands of employers in its database – and in return they received offers of more than 600 jobs. The office’s head of employment, Sylwia Dymicka-Iwaniek, said that they’re encouraging refugees to sign up for language courses in Polish or English, as knowledge of these will make finding employment much easier.
Any employer who is willing to employ refugees can email pomocukraina@gup.gdansk.pl
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Polish customs donate smuggled clothes to Ukrainian people
Almost 200 pallets of smuggled goods that were confiscated by Pomeranian customs officials are being sent to the people of Ukraine. The shipment includes nearly half a million items of clothing, bedding and shoes, worth several million zlotys. It will go first to the Ukrainian authorities, who will decide how to distribute the items.
The voivode of Pomerania, Dariusz Drelich, said customs officers had worked 24 hours a day to repack the consignment. If the goods hadn’t been sent as aid, they would have been sold by the State Treasury or destroyed.
Source: radiogdansk.pl
Weather
It will be dry with some sunny spells in Gdańsk today, with light winds from the northeast. The high will be 7°C, 44°F. Tonight temperatures will dip to freezing before another mild day tomorrow with clear sunny skies.
Posłuchaj:
Andrew Carter/MarWer
