It’s Day 54 of the invasion of Ukraine. Shelling continues in the south and east of Ukraine, with resulting civilian casualties reported in the regions of Luhansk, Donestk, Zaporizhia, and the city of Kharkiv.

As of Sunday evening, Ukrainian troops continue to hold the strategic port city of Mariupol. Despite being heavily outnumbered and essentially trapped, Ukrainian forces have refused a Russian ultimatum to surrender.

Ukrainian officials, including human rights spokeswoman Ludmyla Denisova, claim that over 800,000 Ukrainians have been deported to Russia, including over 150,000 children. According to reports by Russian volunteers in the region, camps for Ukrainian deportees have been set up in the Penza Oblast south of Moscow.

On Sunday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, about the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal later announced he would seek additional funding for Ukraine while taking part in the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank meetings during a visit to the US this week.

Ukraine has officially started the process of EU accession after completing the official questionnaire handed to Zelensky by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Kyiv earlier this month.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Reuters, The Guardian

Gdańsk mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz joined youth from the „Górka” Academic Chaplaincy yesterday to serve a traditional Easter breakfast to those in need.

Dozens of participants took advantage of the free meal, including families, pensioners, and refugees from Ukraine.

One participant from Ukraine claimed they had nowhere to go and were “very happy that I can have breakfast [here].” Another family praised the initiative for helping them after things had “collapsed financially during the pandemic.”

The organizers also prepared 600 parcels with everyday necessities, which were donated to aid centers, shelters, refugee support facilities, and single mothers’ homes.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

An unexploded bomb dating back to the Second World War was found near Gdynia Redłowo yesterday, resulting in the closure of a section of beach.

Residents out for a stroll discovered the highly corroded and partially buried ordinance and immediately called the police.

According to deputy commissioner Jolanta Grunert of the City Police Quarters in Gdynia, the area was closed and fenced off, and is still being monitored by police patrol.

A team of specialist military engineers from Rozewie was due to arrive this morning to take care of the unexploded ordinance, which still poses a threat even after 80 years buried in the sand.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

A unique local museum is once again open for visitors to sightsee without seeing as they tour the city of Gdańsk via models and dialogue.

After a temporary closure due to a pandemic, the “Niewidzialny” or “Invisible” Gdańsk Museum reopened to the public last month, allowing sighted and unsighted guests the experience of a sightless tour assisted by a blind or visually-impaired guide. On the one-hour tour, guests get to know the city and its landmarks by touch, following the guide’s voice.

The guides are members of the Invisibilia Association, an organization formed in 2021 to promote tolerance, education, and advocacy for disabled people in Polish society. According to Monika Domagalska-Ilińska, the president of the association, the museum provides gainful employment for members, giving them the chance to function in society and lead a normal, dignified life.

The association plans to host other events, such as a sightless food tasting, to raise awareness of the everyday life experiences of the blind and visually impaired. The Niewidzialny Gdańsk Muzeum is open daily from 10:00-17:00 and is located on the first floor of the Centromor building at 7 Okopowa Street.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Ukrainian vocal group Pikkardiyska Tertsiya says it has changed the lyrics to the popular song “Hey, Sokoly” to thank Poland and its people for their support during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the group’s artistic director Volodymyr Yakymets, the group made a new recording of “Hey Sokoły” in Ukrainian and Polish at the request of the Ukrainian armed forces.

The recording is “a sign of gratitude and respect to the Poles, who, despite all the differences in the past over historical issues, opened their hearts…and accepted millions of Ukrainian refugees.” The new lyrics include a reference to Poland’s support of Ukraine as “the war showed who our brother is.”

Poland has taken in 2.78 million refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to figures released Saturday by the Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna).

Source: Radio Poland

Weather

Today will be mostly sunny in the morning, with clouds gathering in the afternoon and a cold breeze blowing in from the north. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a high around 9°C, or 48°F, dropping to an overnight low of 3°C or 38°F. Similar temps are expected for tomorrow, with a chance for some rain tomorrow afternoon.

EPeck/pb