Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary Wagner PMC, is thought to be dead after a plane he was supposedly traveling in crashed near Moscow yesterday evening.

As reported in the Guardian, the Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia claimed Prigozhin was on board the private jet that crashed last night, killing all ten passengers, including Prigozhin and “right-hand man” Dmitry Utkin.

After the crash, Reuters reported they could not confirm whether Prigozhin was on board the aircraft or only listed among the passengers.
Some media in Russia linked to the Wagner Group have said that the plane was shot down by Russia, increasing speculation that this was a revenge assassination for the Wagner Group’s recent rebellion.

British military analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News “it is not obvious” that Prigozhin is dead and urged caution as “there is still some plausible idea this might be some sort of setup.” Clarke went on to theorize that regardless of the outcome or the impact on the war in Ukraine, which he said would be “marginal,” the incident “reinforces the fact that Russia is a gangster state.”

Today is day 547 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Polskie Radio, PAP, Sky News

Polish President Andrzej Duda joined representatives of some 63 countries and international organizations to participate in the third Crimea Platform Summit in Kyiv yesterday.

Launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2021, the Crimea Platform is a consultative forum bringing together like-minded countries and international organizations seeking to end Russia’s nearly decade-long occupation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

Along with representatives from the US, EU, and NATO, Duda participated in the summit via video link, while the presidents of Lithuania, Montenegro, Finland, Portugal, and Moldova were among those attending the summit in person.

In his recorded statement, Duda denounced the ongoing occupation of Crimea, telling participants that “the de-occupation of Crimea and restoration of Ukraine’s full territorial integrity are necessary preconditions, not just for the security of the Azov–Black Sea region, but also for the stability of the global security architecture.”

Duda said the international community “must not let Putin achieve his goals vis-à-vis Ukraine,” and so “we must do all we can to ensure” that Crimea “becomes part of Ukraine again.”
Many participants in attendance at the summit, such as Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, are set to attend Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations today in Kyiv.

Source: PAP, president.pl, lrt.lt

Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak was in the coastal town of Dziwnów earlier this week to help launch a new special forces team designed to protect Poland’s critical maritime infrastructure.

The new team, part of the Formoza special forces unit, is expected to help protect infrastructure, including a strategic gas terminal in the northwestern port of Świnoujście and the Baltic Pipe pipeline from Denmark, the biznesalert.pl website reported.

Błaszczak told reporters on Tuesday that the government aimed to expand the country’s special forces in terms of both troop numbers and modern weapons in response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Poland is “aware of the threats posed by Russia’s aggressive policy,” stated Błaszczak, and “must be prepared for various provocations…Poland’s critical infrastructure must be well protected.”

Source: Polskie Radio

Natalia Kaczmarek took home silver in the women’s 400m dash at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest yesterday to bag Poland’s second medal in the global track-and-field event.

Kaczmarek finished second in Wednesday’s final, with a time of 49.57 seconds, the third-best time of her career, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic claimed the title with 48.76 seconds, while Sada Williams of Barbados took the bronze after finishing in 49.60.

Poland’s first medal at the championships in Hungary came from Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki, who finished second in the men’s hammer throw on Sunday.

A team of 67 athletes from Poland is currently competing for medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, which will finish August 27.

Source: Polskie Radio

Poland is set to face Ukraine today in the final group-stage match of the 2023 Women’s European Volleyball Championship in Belgium.

The Polish team sealed a spot in the tournament’s knockout stages after defeating Belgium 3-0 in their penultimate group-stage match on Tuesday.

They will face Ukraine tonight at 17:00 CEST.

The 2023 Women’s European Volleyball Championship, also known as the EuroVolley tournament, is being held in Belgium, Estonia, Germany, and Italy from August 15 to September 3.

Source: Polskie Radio, eurovolley.cev.eu

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy with very little chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming from the west and later northeast. Temperatures will remain pleasantly warm throughout the day, with an afternoon high of 23°C or 74°F, dropping to a low of 16°C or 60°F overnight. Hot, humid weather is expected tomorrow, with cooler temps and rain showers returning over the weekend.

Elizabeth Peck