After weeks of relative quiet, several missiles struck Kyiv early Sunday morning as air raid sirens sounded across much of Ukraine.
Altogether, four missiles hit the Ukrainian capital, striking a rail car repair facility, with Ukrainian air defense reportedly managing to shoot down one incoming missile.
No deaths were immediately reported, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed that the strike had destroyed tanks and other weapons provided to Ukraine by European countries.
The latest attack on Kyiv comes as Ukrainian forces continue their counterattack in the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Regional officials claim Ukrainian forces now control half the city, a statement seemingly supported by reports released by the British Ministry of Defense.
In a recent intelligence briefing, British intel claimed the Ukrainian counterattack in Severodonetsk had “likely blunt[ed] the operational momentum Russian forces previously gained through concentrating combat units and firepower.”
Source: Radio Poland, PAP, Reuters
Polish forces will join some 15 other countries in ‘Baltops’ 2022, a NATO military exercise that began on Sunday.
Participants include most NATO member states along with partner nations Finland and host Sweden. Both countries have recently applied to join the alliance, a decision they said was prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In total, 45 ships, 75 aircraft, and around 7,000 soldiers will take part in Baltops, which will run from 5-17 June. Poland has participated in the US-sponsored naval military exercise since 1993.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
According to recent figures released by Eurostat, unemployment in Poland was a modest 3 percent in April, one of the lowest rates in the 27-nation European Union.
The Czech Republic boasted the lowest jobless rate at 2.4% in the same period, followed by Poland and Germany at 3% each, according to the Eurostat data.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Spain had the highest seasonally-adjusted jobless rate in the EU, at 13.3%, followed by Greece with 12.7%. The EU average for April was 6.2%, a stable figure when compared with data from March.
Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS), which uses a different methodology, reported last month that the Polish jobless rate dropped to 5.2% in April, from 5.4% in March.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Ukrainian hopes for a second visit to the World Cup were dashed last night after Wales rode to victory on a lucky free kick by Welsh forward Gareth Bale.
In a particularly cruel twist of fate, the lone goal of the match was credited to Ukrainian midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko after his attempt to block Bale’s free kick resulted in an unintentional header into his own goal.
While expressing regret at dashing Ukraine’s hopes, Welsh fans were overjoyed to finally have a chance to follow their team to the World Cup, the first one Wales has qualified for since 1958.
Source: Reuters, AP
The Parliament of Scotland recently thanked Polish volunteer Joanna Mazzocchi for her efforts to help Ukrainian refugees in Łeba learn Polish.
In addition to her regular job teaching Polish at a school in Glasgow, Mazzocchi has been teaching Polish remotely to refugees from Ukraine now living in Łeba. She was also commended for collecting funds to help Ukrainians living in the Scottish city of Wishaw, where she currently resides.
In a letter of congratulations, Scottish MP Clare Adamson wrote that “the Scottish Parliament applauds Joanna Mazzochi’s actions, which it sees as an impeccable example of helping Ukrainian refugees.”
Mazzocchi is currently a postgraduate student at the University of Gdańsk in a program for teachers of Polish.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, ug.edu.pl
Weather
Today will be sunny and warm, with very little chance of rain and a light breeze coming in from the south. Temperatures will peak around a high of 24°C, or 75°F, dropping to an overnight low of 15°C or 59°F. Cooler, wet weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain continuing throughout the week.
Elizabeth Peck/raf
