Air raid sirens went off across Ukraine early this morning, with explosions reported in regions around Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv and in the capital of Kyiv.
According to a Telegram post by Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, two people were injured due to Russian strikes in Kyiv, with at least one shell reportedly landing in the yard of a residential building.
Power outages were also reported in Kyiv and Kharkiv, with Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko claiming the Russian missile attack had damaged energy infrastructure facilities in seven regions of the country, forcing authorities to implement preventive power cuts.
As a result of the widespread Russian missile attacks, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southeastern Ukraine was completely cut off from electricity around 3:00 CET.
In a post on Telegram, Enerhoatom, the state company that manages Ukraine’s nuclear power facilities, warned that “if it is not possible to resume external power to the plant after this time (after 10 hours), a failure with radiation consequences for the whole world may occur.”
The ZNPP is currently controlled by Russian troops stationed on the premises, which Enerhoatom says poses a threat to maintaining the continuity of operations, which are conducted by Ukrainian personnel.
Today is day 379 of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP
European Union countries have agreed to continue providing support to Ukraine to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invasion, says Polish defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
Speaking on Wednesday after the conclusion of an informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Stockholm, Błaszczak informed reporters the attendees had agreed to maintain “the scale and speed of military support” to Ukraine.
The two-day gathering focused on the European bloc’s continued military support for Ukraine, including training Ukrainian soldiers under the EU’s military assistance mission for Ukraine (EUMAM) and financing ammunition purchases.
During his visit to Sweden, Błaszczak also met privately with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to discuss “the removal of industrial barriers” for maintaining the performance of tanks sent to Ukraine. According to Błaszczak, Germany needs to restart production of spare parts for the German-manufactured Leopard tanks, which the country halted some 20 years ago.
Poland recently announced plans to set up a maintenance hub in the southern city of Gliwice for Leopard 2A4 tanks but needs help finding enough spare parts for maintenance and repairs.
Source: Polskie Radio
The Polish central bank’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Council left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, keeping the reference rate at 6.75 percent.
In 2022, the panel delivered nearly a dozen rate hikes in an effort to contain surging consumer prices.
Last September, the Monetary Policy Council raised key interest rates by 25 base points, from 6.50 percent to 6.75 percent, in a bid to tame rising inflation.
Inflation in Poland hit 17.2 percent in January, according to an estimate by GUS, the national statistics office.
Source: Polskie Radio
The innovative Ukrainian crossover orchestra rock group Prime Orchestra will perform in Gdańsk tonight as part of their tour through Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
The group consists of roughly 40 professional musicians and orchestral singers, a rock band, a DJ, and a conductor performing covers and mash-ups of popular songs and film soundtracks accompanied by visuals.
Prime Orchestra was formed in Kharkiv in 2014 but was forced to evacuate in May 2022. Since then, the group has been giving concerts to raise awareness and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, often sharing their personal experiences accompanied by visual depictions of the ongoing war.
Tonight’s “Rock Sympho Show” will feature custom arrangements of songs by artists such as Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Queen, AC/DC, Metallica, Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Deep Purple, Eminem, and The Prodigy.
The two-hour concert will take place tonight (Thursday, March 9) on the Theater Stage of the NOT Technika House at 6 Rajska Street at 19:00.
More information about the concert is available at: https://radiogdansk.pl/wiadomosci/region/trojmiasto/2023/03/07/zagraja-dla-ukrainy-przebojowy-repertuar-charytatywny-koncert-prime-orchestra-w-sali-teatralnej-not/
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be a mix of sun and clouds with very little chance of rain or snow during the day and a light breeze coming in from the southeast. Temperatures will be slightly colder than yesterday, with a high of 2°C or 35°F before dropping to lows of -2°C or 28°F overnight. Similar temperatures are expected for tomorrow, with a good chance for rain or snow showers during the day.
Elizabeth Peck
