It’s Day 50 of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces are continuing to systematically bomb military and civilian targest in eastern Ukraine as Russia continues strengthening its aviation groups on the Ukrainian border.
Russian forces have advanced in the strategic port city of Mariupol, and analysts expect the Russians will launch an offensive in the Donbas region in the coming week.
Earlier this morning, Ukrainian forces reportedly blew up a bridge in Izium to destroy an advancing column of Russian troops. The Ukrainians also reported causing severe damage to the Russian warship “Moskva,” claims the Kremlin has denied.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish President Andrzej Duda joined the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia yesterday for a meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the visit to Ukraine, President Duda and the presidents of the Baltic states visited the towns of Bucha, Borodzianka, and Irpień near Kyiv, where mass crimes by Russian troops against Ukrainian civilians took place.
In comments made this morning, Duda called the experience “one of those visits that I will remember for the rest of my life, especially the impression made by Borodianka, destroyed by Russian planes and rockets.”
Source: PAP, Radio Poland
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on international allies yesterday to provide additional heavy weaponry necessary for Ukrainian forces to stop Russia.
“Without additional weapons,” Zelensky warned, “this war will turn into an endless bloodbath that will spread misery, suffering, and destruction. Mariupol, Bucha, Kramatorsk – the list goes on. No one will stop Russia except Ukraine with heavy weapons.
He went on to reiterate a common concern of Ukraine’s neighbors, that Russia “does not plan to limit itself to Ukraine. Poland, Moldova, Romania, and the Baltic states will be the next targets for Russia if Ukrainian freedom does not endure.”
In an apparent response to Zelensky, US President Joe Biden announced the approval of an $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, which includes “the highly effective weapons systems [the US] already provide[s], as well as new capabilities tailored to the broader Russian attack we expect to see in eastern Ukraine.”
The list includes many of Zelensky’s requested items, such as heavy artillery, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and combat aircraft.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Ryanair recently announced it would offer nearly 130 flights a week from Gdańsk in the upcoming Summer 2022 season, 50 more flights than before the pandemic in 2019.
As of this summer, travelers will be able to fly to new destinations in Paris, Stockholm, Valencia, Venice, Vilnius, and Lublin, in addition to other destinations in western Europe.
According to the Ryanair press office, the company will also permanently base five planes at the airport in Gdańsk, which will translate directly to an additional 150 high-paying jobs for pilots, engineers, and cabin crew, along with 1,500 indirect jobs in Gdańsk.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Orchestras in Poland, including Filharmonia Bałtycka and the Polish Chamber Philharmonic in Sopot, recently released a Youtube video in support of Ukraine and its cultural heritage.
In solidarity with the Ukrainian nation, 28 Polish orchestras recorded Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk’s „Melody” during concerts in March and April of this year. Fragments of each performance were then gathered together into a composite video available to watch on YouTube.
The song is already familiar to many listeners. It was featured in the soundtrack to a video Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used in several public addresses, including his speech to the US Congress last month.
Tricity ensembles participating in the initiative include the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra in Sopot under the baton of Wojciech Rajski and featuring Polish-Ukrainian violinist Nazar Plyska, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic F. Chopin in Gdańsk with Daniel Smith conducting.
The video is available to watch here.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Reminder: Lechia Gdańsk will host the Ukrainian football team “Shakhtar” from Donetsk tonight in a charity match in Gdańsk.
The match will kick off at 19:30 in Polsat Plus Arena. All proceeds from the match will be donated to efforts to support Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy, with a chance for rain showers later in the day and winds coming in from the west. Temperatures will be warmer than yesterday, with a high around 18°C, or 64°F, dropping to an overnight low of 6°C or 43°F. Tomorrow will be much colder, with a good chance for rain in the early morning. While sunny skies will return over the holiday weekend, temperatures will remain on the cool side into next week.
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