On Saturday, Ukraine marked the 500th day since the start of the Russian invasion, a grim milestone in a war analysts warn could continue well into next year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Snake Island in the Black Sea yesterday to commemorate soldiers who lost their lives during the battle for the island. The audio recording of that initial encounter and the tagline “Russian warship, go f*** yourself” became famous worldwide as a representation of Ukrainian defiance against seemingly insurmountable odds.

In posts online over the weekend, Krzysztof Janowski, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, lamented “the horrendous civilian cost of the war in Ukraine”. According to UN officials, “9,000 civilians, including over 500 children, have been killed since the start of the invasion”, though the actual number could be much higher.

Source: Polskie Radio, Reuters, ukraine.un.org

The United States announced on Friday that it would supply Ukraine with cluster munitions to aid in the counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces.

The announcement was welcomed by Ukraine, along with a new $800 million security package US officials pledged to deliver “in a time frame that is relevant for the counteroffensive”.

Some human rights groups and the UN secretary-general questioned Washington’s decision, as more than 100 countries prohibit the storage and use of cluster munitions, including the UK, France, and Germany. Deploying the weapon releases large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area and may still pose a threat decades after the end of a conflict.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan later stated that “Ukraine has provided written assurances that it is going to use these in a very careful way” to minimize risks to civilians.

The news comes after a week of strikes on civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including a deadly strike on a residential area in the western city of Lviv early Thursday morning. Ten people reportedly died as a result of the strike, and another 45 were injured, including three children.

Source: Polskie Radio, Radio Gdańsk, Reuters

Eight local fire brigades were called out early yesterday morning to help extinguish a massive fire at an abandoned building on ul. Kaczeńce in Gdańsk Stogi.

Authorities were alerted to the incident shortly before 6:00 on Saturday. The fire rapidly engulfed the entire structure, with witnesses reporting the sight of flames and thick smoke from various areas of Gdańsk.

As of yesterday afternoon, firefighters had gained control over the situation and were extinguishing the remaining ashes. Police are currently investigating the cause of the fire, as it is unclear if it was accidental or intentional.

Although the building was destroyed, no injuries were reported from the blaze.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has advanced to the fourth round of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London after a straight-set win over Petra Martić of Croatia.

Friday’s 6-2, 7-5 victory over the 30th-seeded Croatian propelled Świątek to her second Round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon.

Świątek will next face Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland for a place in the quarter-finals. Earlier on Friday, Bencic ended the hopes of Magda Linette after defeating the 23rd-seeded Pole in straight sets (6-3, 6-1).

The match between Bencic and Światek is set for today at 16:30 Warsaw time.

In the men’s competition, 17th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz also advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon after a straight-sets 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-4 win over 14th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.

Hurkacz is set to face world No. 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia today at 17:45 Warsaw time.

Source: Polskie Radio, wtatennis.com

For the past three days, the city of Gdańsk has been hosting theatre performers from around the world as part of the 25th annual FETA open-air and street theatre festival.

The festival program includes a diverse mix of large open-air shows and small, intimate performances incorporating dance, theater, new media, puppet shows, and circus art. Most performances are in and around Park Reagana and feature theatre artists from Poland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Denmark, and Ukraine.

More information and schedules can be found at FETA’s festival official page.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be mostly sunny, with very little chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming from the northeast. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a daytime high of 24°C or 75°F, dropping to a low of 14°C or 57°F overnight. Slightly cooler weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Listen to the broadcast:

Elizabeth Peck/ol