German authorities have detained a military officer on charges of spying for Russia, bolstering claims by some analysts that Germany is “a Russian spy hub.”

The suspect was arrested in the western city of Koblenz on August 9, according to reports on the Deutsche Welle website. Federal prosecutors say he approached the Russian embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn with an offer to provide information on his work for the German Bundeswehr procurement agency.

The “would-be spy” is believed to have views similar to those espoused by Germany’s populist, pro-Russian, and anti-American Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, Poland’s biznesalert.pl website reported on Monday.

The detention has reignited a debate in Germany about how “right-wing and anti-American beliefs” motivate some Bundeswehr soldiers, senior state officials, politicians, and police officers to work for Russian intelligence, according to biznesalert.pl.

Based on the assessment of historian and journalist Nigel Jones, Germany’s distrust of its own spy agencies and the legacy of its Nazi past has made the country vulnerable to Russian espionage.

In a recent article for Britain’s “The Spectator” magazine, Jones pointed to similar cases in late 2022, when “an agent of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, was arrested and accused of betraying secrets to the Russians, and an officer in the Bundeswehr reserve was put on probation for supplying information to Moscow for years.”

Source: Polskie Radio

The Danish government has pledged to donate 19 US-made F-16 fighter jets to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion, adding to 42 aircraft promised earlier by the Netherlands.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the move at a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Frederiksen said her country would donate six of the 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “hopefully” around the end of the year, with eight more to be transferred in 2024 and the remaining five in 2025.

According to reports in Britain’s The Guardian, the F-16s will be transferred to Ukraine after its pilots and ground crews have been adequately trained, which means the Western fighter jets could be expected to be ready to fly combat missions in Ukraine in 2024.

Sunday’s announcements came after the United States authorized the Netherlands and Denmark to provide Ukraine with F-16s, in what was seen as a major boost to Kyiv.
Today is day 545 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Polskie Radio

Authorities are urging residents to exercise additional caution when swimming and enjoying water sports in response to increasing numbers of drownings and water-related accidents across Poland.

Over the weekend, 19 drowning deaths were reported nationwide as people took to lakes, rivers, and the Baltic Sea amid scorching weather, according to the Government Center for Security (RCB).

In Pomerania, a 60-year-old man drowned in Lake Sudomie near Kościerzyna Monday afternoon, and four children had to be rescued near a beach in Władysławowo on Friday. An 11-year-old girl was among those rescued and later resuscitated; she remains in critical condition as of Monday afternoon.

At least 250 people have drowned in Poland since the beginning of April, authorities said on Monday, citing alcohol as one of the chief causes of swimmers drowning. Additionally, deaths often occur in bathing areas not patrolled by lifeguards.

The Government Center for Security has appealed to residents to avoid using intoxicating substances before swimming, steer clear of unguarded beaches, and wear a life jacket when operating a boat or canoe.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio

The 18th annual International Mozart Festival, or “Mozartiana,” is currently underway in Gdańsk, with international artists set to perform classical, folk, and jazz arrangements of the composer’s works.

The annual festival hosts outstanding Polish and foreign vocalists and musicians on its many stages, including concerts in the Artus Court, Oliwa Park, and the Oliwa Cathedral.

The festival opened on Sunday with the Riverbero string quartet, one of several small ensembles featured as part of the “Intimate Mozart” concerts at Dwór Artusa.

This year’s inaugural concert will be held on Thursday evening in Abbots’ Palace Courtyard in Oliwa Park and will feature a classical repertoire by the Polish Chamber Philharmonic of Sopot accompanied by soloist Janusz Wawrowski on violin and conducted by Wojciech Rajski.

The Representative Artistic Ensemble of the Polish Army and conductor Lieutenant Colonel Marcin Ślązak will close out the evening with jazz and big band arrangements of classical Mozart operas, including “The Magic Flute” and “Don Juan.”

The Mozartiana festival runs until Saturday, August 26. More information and a complete program are available on the festival website

Source: gdansk.pl, mozartiana.pl

Weather

Today will be a mix of sun and clouds, with very little chance for rain and a gentle breeze coming from the west and later north. Temperatures will remain pleasantly warm throughout the day, with an afternoon high of 24°C or 76°F, dropping to a low of 14°C or 58°F overnight. Similar temps are expected tomorrow, accompanied by a chance for rain midday.

Elizabeth Peck/kł