Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the situation is becoming “more and more difficult” around the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut due to constant Russian assaults.
Bakhmut has been the focus of Russian advances in eastern Ukraine and the scene of some of the most brutal fighting as Kremlin forces fight to encircle the city, according to recent reports from Reuters.
Military experts assert that Russian troops are seeking to cut the Ukrainian defenders’ vulnerable supply lines into the city and force them to surrender or withdraw. Seizing Bakhmut would give Moscow its first significant prize in more than half a year, and pave the way for capturing the last remaining urban centers in the eastern Donetsk region, says Reuters.
Zelensky said in his nightly address on Tuesday that Ukraine’s forces are preparing to resume counteroffensives to retake occupied territory from Russia.
Senior US officials have said they don’t expect to see either side make notable territorial gains in the coming weeks. Appearing at a US House of Representatives hearing on Tuesday, US Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl described the frontlines as “a grinding slog” and “a debilitating exchange of strikes” as the war drags into its second year.
US officials have made a series of high-profile visits to shore up additional support in the region, including a visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a surprise visit to Kyiv by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday, where she announced another multibillion-dollar package to boost Ukraine’s economy.
Today is day 371 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Source: Polskie Radio, Reuters
Jailed former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili thanked Poland after EU member states issued a diplomatic warning to Tbilisi over the deteriorating health of the former head of state.
A video published by CNN in early February showed the former Georgian president collapsing near his bed in a hospital ward in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
Saakashvili was President of Georgia from 2004 to 2013 and is now serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power. During his time in prison, Saakashvili has gone on several hunger strikes, which have reported affected his health significantly, a claim Georgian officials have dismissed as a ploy for a more lenient prison term.
Polish diplomat Paweł Herczyński, the EU’s ambassador to Georgia, said he had submitted a statement of protest to Georgian authorities calling for the release of Saakashvili so that he can receive medical treatment in Poland.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio
As of March 1, PKP Intercity ticket prices are due to drop close to levels in place before an increase introduced on January 11 of this year.
Base prices for the economical TLK and IC connections are expected to drop by approximately 11% on average, while the express EIC and EIP lines should see a drop of roughly 15% on average.
Additional fees for the transport of bicycles, dogs, and luggage should also decrease, along with prices for section tickets and rail passes, such as the Intercity Card.
PKP introduced the price increase earlier this year due to rising electricity costs, which will now be offset by funds from the state budget. The Ministry of Infrastructure recently announced that PKP Intercity will receive an additional PLN 50 million from the state budget in the coming weeks.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Official ceremonies and other events are being held across Poland today to commemorate heroes of the anti-communist underground, known as the “żołnierze wyklęci” or the “cursed soldiers”.
Following the official end of WWII, thousands of so-called “indomitable” soldiers continued to fight against the government imposed by the Soviet Union. They faced a brutal crackdown by Poland’s communist authorities, becoming a symbol of resistance in the ongoing struggle to regain full independence.
The Museum of the Second World War and the Institute of National Remembrance in Gdańsk will join other cultural institutions around Poland in offering special exhibitions, concerts, and a remembrance ceremony to honor those who lost their lives fighting against the communist regime.
At 17:00, there will be a laying of wreaths in the square under the monument to the Cursed Soldiers in Gdańsk, and a lighting of candles at the nearby graves of two resistance heroes, Feliks “Zagończyk” Selmanowicz and Danuta “Inka” Czekakówna, a 17-year-old Home Army nurse who died in Communist custody.
At 18:00, the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk will host a concert of music and spoken word entitled “Songs from the partisan notebook of Leszek and Lufa,” and at 18:30, a holy mass will be celebrated at the Church of St. Bridget in Gdańsk, followed by a concert of patriotic songs.
March 1st was chosen as the official day of remembrance in 2011, as it was on this day in 1951 that seven prominent members of the Freedom and Independence (Wolność i Niezawisłość – WiN) organization were executed in Warsaw by the Soviet-controlled Communist Polish secret police (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa).
More information on today’s events is available >>>HERE.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny with little chance of rain or snow and a light breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, climbing to a high of 6°C or 43°F before dropping to a low of -2°C or 29°F overnight. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with sunshine and clearer skies expected to continue into the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck
