Ukraine’s military has launched a counteroffensive against Russia in at least four areas of the front, according to analysts from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters over the weekend that “counteroffensive and defensive actions are taking place in Ukraine, but “[would] not say in detail what stage they are at.” He added that his generals were “all in a positive mood,” according to Reuters.
Citing “Russian sources,” ISW reported “Ukrainian activity in Luhansk Oblast near Bilohorivka,” while a spokesman for the Ukrainian Eastern Group of Forces, Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, “noted that Ukrainian forces advanced up to 1,400m in unspecified areas” of the front near Bakhmut.
Today is day 474 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Polskie Radio, Radio Gdańsk
As Ukrainian troops attempt to push forward with the military counteroffensive, thousands of Ukrainians are busy fighting the disastrous effects of last week’s destruction of the Nowa Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.
In a video address on Sunday, President Zelensky said the International Criminal Court would be launching an investigation into the intentional destruction of the dam, which Zelensky and others have called “an act of Russian terrorism” and “ecocide.”
Evacuations of civilians trapped by the resulting floodwaters continued over the weekend in the region of Kherson, despite the ongoing threat of Russian attacks.
Three civilians were reportedly killed and ten injured when Russian forces fired on a boat carrying evacuees from the occupied left bank of the Dnieper River, according to a Telegram post by Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of the Kherson region.
Earlier in the day, Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, reported that the Russians had “shot civilians in the back,” with six injured civilians taken to a hospital in Kherson. It is unclear if Yermak was referring to the same group mentioned by Prokudin.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Reuters
The Polish government has adopted plans to amend this year’s budget to channel more funds for the public sector, agriculture, and defense amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference on Friday that his government had “revised the budget to meet some additional commitments that we have made during the year.”
Morawiecki specifically pointed to a recent agreement with the Solidarity trade union on wage and social benefits, “efforts to ensure higher prices” for farmers amid “difficulties in agricultural markets,” and spending to bolster domestic arms production and to pay for weapons Poland has ordered from South Korea and the United States.
Morawiecki said his Cabinet was also allocating PLN 14 billion in extra funds for local governments to support their day-to-day needs and facilitate investment.
Pre-school, primary, and secondary school teachers will also receive a one-time bonus of PLN 1,125 under the proposed amendment, according to the Minister of Finance, Magdalena Rzeczkowska.
The revised budget for 2023 expects the economy to grow 0.9 percent, instead of the previous estimate of 1.7 percent, with government revenue expected to total PLN 601.4 billion.
After the revision, the budget deficit is expected to be around PLN 92 billion (EUR 20.7 billion, USD 22.3 billion), up from an initial target of PLN 68 billion, according to the Polish finance ministry.
Source: Polskie Radio, Radio Gdańsk
Polish football referee Szymon Marciniak has been praised for his handling of Saturday’s Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan in Istanbul.
In the high-profile game, Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 in front of some 75,000 fans at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul while hundreds of millions of viewers watched worldwide.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki congratulated Marciniak on his performance during the match, calling him “the best man on the pitch.”
The 42-year-old Marciniak is the first Polish person to officiate a Champions League final. He was assisted by fellow Poles Paweł Sokolnicki and Tomasz Listkiewicz.
Source: Polskie Radio
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny and clear, with very little chance of rain and a light breeze coming from the northeast. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a daytime high of 21°C or 69°F, dropping to a low of 12°C or 53°F overnight. Slightly warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some rain later in the week.
Elizabeth Peck
