Over the past two days, nearly two dozen Ukrainian civilians have been killed in a renewed barrage of shelling in Ukraine, primarily striking towns and villages in the east and south of the country.

Six people in the eastern Donetsk region, two in the southern Kherson province, and two in the northeastern Kharkiv region were killed in strikes on Friday, according to the office of Ukraine’s president.

The latest barrage of Russian shelling came a day after Moscow’s missiles and self-propelled drones struck deeper into Ukrainian territory, killing at least 11 people, according to news reports.

The attacks followed announcements earlier this week by Germany, the United States, and Poland that they would provide modern tanks to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion.

In a post on Twitter yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Poland for its decision to send an additional 60 battle tanks to aid in his country’s defense.

Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki said in an interview with Canadian television on Thursday that Poland would send an additional 60 battle tanks to Ukraine on top of the 14 German-made Leopards it had already promised.

Source: Radio Poland

Earlier this week, Poland’s energy giant PKN Orlen signed a long-term agreement to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States.

On Wednesday, the president of PKN Orlen, Daniel Obajtek, and the head of the American Sempra Infrastructure, Dan Brouillette, signed a long-term contract to supply 1 million tons of LNG annually from the US state of Texas.

The contract would cover a period of 20 years, beginning in 2027.

Obajtek later said in a tweet that the new contract could satisfy a quarter of the demand for gas among Polish consumers during the next 20 years.

The US Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, praised the example of Polish-US energy cooperation as “a special pillar of Polish-American friendship,” emphasizing that “energy security means national security.”

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

The Seal Rehabilitation Center at the Marine Station in Hel has issued an appeal to help raise some PLN 80,000 in donations to expand the isolation ward used to treat seal pups.

Seal pups are typically born around the end of February and early March, with some separating from their parents too early, putting them at extreme risk as they cannot survive alone. The hospital helps treat these emaciated, dehydrated, and often injured seals, with the ultimate goal of preparing them to live independently in the wild.

As wildlife guardian Katarzyna Kucharska explains, the seal hospital in Hel gives the young pups a chance at survival, but the need is growing. “Last year,” Kucharska says, “we had 82 seal pups for treatment and rehabilitation, and it was a record.”

This year, the facility expects dozens of baby seals needing help to begin arriving in March. According to Kucharska, “some cases require long-term hospitalization and isolation from other patients, and this is difficult due to the large number of seals staying in the hospital at the same time.”

More information on the fundraiser and the rehabilitation center can be found on the project fundraising page at www.ratujemyzwierzaki.pl/pomocfokom.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Police and traffic safety officers have announced increased road checks over the weekend as the winter holidays, or “feria,” come to an end across Pomerania.

According to Superintendent Joanna Skrent from the Road Traffic Department of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gdańsk, additional patrols with speed meters and breathalyzers will be out patrolling the main roads of the Pomeranian voivodship this weekend, with traffic expected to peak on Sunday.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Sunday will also be the finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) in cities and towns across Poland, including Gdańsk.

Local officials have appealed to volunteers and people joining the collections to exercise additional caution over the weekend and contact the police in case of any issues. Additional uniformed and plain-clothes police officers will be on duty this weekend, with officers reportedly paying particular attention to whether collections are carried out by authorized staff and volunteers.

Each volunteer should have a visible ID card with the signature WOŚP heart logo and unique collection ID number, with collection bins sealed with the bands of the WOŚP organization and clearly marked with the collection number.

Any suspicious activity should be reported to the police.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with only a slight chance of rain or snow and a gentle breeze coming from the southwest. Temperatures will remain close to freezing, with highs of 1°C, or 33°F and lows of -1°C or 30°F during the day. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with an increasing chance of rain or snow into Monday.

Elizabeth Peck