During a speech yesterday to the United Nations Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia is trying to steal Ukrainian territory in what he called “a brutal violation” of the UN charter.
Zelensky made his remarks against the backdrop of early reports by Moscow that residents of four occupied regions of Ukraine had voted to join Russia in the pseudo-referenda that finished yesterday. The referenda are widely seen as a pretext for annexation and have been denounced by EU and G7 members.
“Any annexation in the modern world is a crime against all states that consider the inviolability of borders to be crucial,” declared Zelenskiy, adding that Ukraine is defending not only its independence in the current war but also international law.
Zelensky went on to reiterate calls for complete isolation of Russia, removal of its voting rights in the United Nations, its exclusion or suspension in all international organizations, the imposition of global sanctions against Moscow, and the granting of security guarantees to Ukraine.
Source: PAP
Polish and German officials are publicly speculating if simultaneous leaks in the Nord Stream gas pipelines are a form of targeted attack or provocation by Russia.
Denmark’s energy agency reported a leak in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on Monday, close to the Danish island of Bornholm on the Baltic Sea. Hours later, Sweden’s maritime authorities reported two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, also close to Bornholm, and told ships to avoid the region.
During an interview yesterday with Polsat News, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz warned the simultaneous leaks could be some form of provocation. “If this neighbor is capable of aggressive policy of a military nature in Ukraine,” explained Przydacz, “then obviously we can’t rule out any provocations, including in parts of Western Europe.”
According to some German government officials, simultaneous leaks in the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines “can’t be a coincidence,” and “there is much that suggests a targeted attack.”
On Tuesday, Sweden’s National Seismological Network (SNSN) said it had detected two „strong underwater explosions” on Monday in the area where the Nord Stream leaks had been discovered; findings backed up by seismological readings from the German geological research center GFZ.
The leaks coincided with the official launch of the new Baltic Pipe pipeline, which will reduce energy dependency on Russia by transferring some 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Norway to Poland via Denmark.
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
Lawmakers from four different groups within the European Parliament have nominated the people of Ukraine for this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
The nominees for this year’s prize were announced on Monday, with groups from across the political spectrum – including the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) – supporting the nomination of the Ukrainian people and/or President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Sakharov Prize, which includes a EUR 50,000 cash grant, has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 “to honor exceptional individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Recent award winners include jailed Russian dissident Alexey Navalny, the collective democratic opposition in Belarus, Uighur human rights activist Ilham Tohti, and Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov.
Finalists for the prize are set to be announced on October 13, with a final decision on October 20 and an award ceremony in December.
Source: Radio Poland
Over one hundred feature and documentary films will be screened as part of the 14th annual Niepokorni Niezłomni Wyklęci (NNW) International Film Festival beginning today in Gdynia.
Previous editions have focused on Polish postwar history and the war in Ukraine, with the overall focus of the festival on “different paths to freedom” in the history of Poland, Europe, and the world. “The letter ‘W’ in our name stands for ‘Cursed,’ but it can also be read as ‘Freedom,’” explains Arkadiusz Gołębiewski, director and originator of the NNW Festival.
Over 100 films will compete for prizes during the festival, with entries from Europe, the USA, Georgia, Japan, Venezuela, and Iran. The four-day film festival also includes concerts, open-air shows, theater performances, exhibitions, discussion panels, book promotions, and meetings with authors and activists.
The festival is free and open to the public; additional details can be found on the festival website at www.festiwalnnw.pl.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, gdynia.pl
Polish volleyball players continued their winning streak last night, beating Thailand 3:0 in their first home game of Phase 1 of the FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championships.
The Group B matches continue today at 14:00, with Thailand facing off against Croatia, followed by Turkey vs. the Dominican Republic at 17:30, and Poland vs. South Korea tonight at 20:30.
Hopes are high that the Polish winning streak will continue tonight after South Korea was dominated by Turkey last night, with the South Koreans scoring only 40 points during the entire match.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, volleyballworld.com
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cool, with a good chance of rain in the early morning and again in the evening and a strong breeze coming in from the southwest. Temperatures will be on the chilly side, with a high of 13°C, or 55°F this afternoon, dropping to a low of 7°C or 44°F overnight. Skies are expected to clear off somewhat late tomorrow with a chance for some sunshine moving into Thursday and Friday.
Listen:
Elizabeth Peck/raf
