It’s day 26 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Russian shelling continuing to destroy residential buildings, schools, and shopping centers. Reports have emerged of Russian soldiers terrorizing and robbing inhabitants in occupied cities like Berdyansk and Mariupol. Thousands of people have died as a result of the war, and more than three million have been forced to leave their homes.
Over the weekend, at least four people died due to the shelling of several buildings in the western part of Kyiv, based on reports by the German press agency DPA.
According to the Mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko, several residential buildings in the Podol district were damaged and set on fire during the attack, including a shopping mall and cars parked in front of it. Via his Telegram channel, Klitschko reported that “rescue teams and paramedics [were] already on the scene.”
On Saturday, authorities in the Ukrainian capital announced on Telegram that 228 people, including four children, had died in Kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, and 912 people, including 16 children, had been injured.
Source: PAP
US President Joe Biden will travel to Warsaw on Friday to meet directly with Polish President Andrzej Duda and discuss international efforts to support Ukraine and bolster regional security.
According to a statement by the White House, the two leaders will discuss “how the United States, alongside our Allies and partners, is responding to the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created.”
The announcement came after the White House confirmed last week that Biden would attend an “extraordinary” summit of NATO leaders in Brussels on March 24 to discuss the Alliance’s current position vis-a-vis Russia.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the summit will “address Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our strong support for Ukraine, and further strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense.”
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
The Polish Ministry of Health recently announced that the temporary hospital in the AmberExpo center in Gdańsk is closing as of April 1.
The Polish Ministry of Health is closing such facilities throughout the country as the number of patients requiring hospitalization continues to decline.
From April 1, COVID wards and temporary hospitals will no longer be financed by the national health fund (NFZ). The 65 patients currently being treated for COVID-19 at AmberExpo will be transferred to the Pomeranian Center for Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis, which reports having 234 beds available.
The temporary hospital at the AmberExpo site was first opened in March 2021, and 808 COVID-19 patients were treated at the facility before it closed four months later. It was reopened last January in response to the most recent wave of the pandemic.
On Sunday, the Polish Ministry of Health reported nearly 6 000 (5 696) new cases of COVID-19, 10% (593) of which were re-infections. Twelve additional deaths were also reported due to COVID-19 complications.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis phenom Iga Świątek dominated Maria Sakkari of Greece on the court last night (6:4, 6:1) to win the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California.
Świątek is now the second-best female player in the world as ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), coming just behind Ashleigh Barty of Australia.
The victory marks Świątek’s eleventh straight match win, third WTA 1000 tournament title, and her first visit and first win at the BNP Paribas Open championship.
Source: PAP, wtatennis.com
The WWII Museum in Gdańsk is hosting a free musical performance this Thursday to commemorate those who saved Jews during the German occupation of Poland.
The production of “Sprawiedliwi” or “Righteous” includes the stories of Poles who risked and often lost their lives trying to save Jews from being murdered by occupying Nazi German forces. The stories are accompanied by poetry from Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński, Antoni Słonimski, Leopold Staff, and Julian Tuwim, all set to music.
The Bureau of Cultural Events of the Institute of National Remembrance is sponsoring the event, which will be held this Thursday, March 24, at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. The performance begins at 18:00, and free tickets can be collected at the museum’s ticket offices before the event.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with very little chance of rain and light winds coming from the southeast. Temperatures will be warmer than yesterday, with a high around 12°C, or 53°F, dropping to below freezing overnight with a low of -1°C or 30°F. Even warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with clear skies continuing throughout the week.
Elizabeth Peck
