The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said it will push for international sanctions against those responsible for holding what it calls “pseudo-elections” in regions occupied by Russia.

Despite the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea being part of Ukraine, the Kremlin has mandated their inclusion in the upcoming regional elections being held today in Russia. As noted by Polskie Radio, not all of these territories are under full Russian military control.
The date for the controversial elections was previously fixed for September 10. However, reports indicate that early “voting” commenced a few days prior.

Ukraine has vehemently stressed that these so-called elections will not be recognized legally. The Foreign Ministry further noted that these events not only undermine Ukraine’s autonomy but also further delegitimize the Russian legal framework. Today is day 564 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Polskie Radio

NATO allies kicked off a series of large-scale naval exercises in the Baltic Sea yesterday amid escalating tensions with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

According to a statement from the German navy, approximately 3,200 soldiers representing 14 countries are participating in the Northern Coasts 23 exercise, along with more than 30 ships and submarines, up to 19 aircraft, and various landing units.

Participating countries include those located along the Baltic Sea, such as Poland and the Baltic states, new and aspiring NATO members Finland and Sweden, and NATO allies Italy, Canada, and the United States.

The Northern Coasts 23 exercise marks the first occasion where the German navy has been entrusted with the planning and execution of a maneuver of such scale, according to Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch, director of the maneuver.

The Northern Coasts series was inaugurated by the German navy in 2007 and rotates annually among Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. This year’s exercise will be conducted along the coasts and within the territories of Latvia and Estonia.

Source: Polskie Radio

The Institute of National Remembrance is unveiling a monument to commemorate Józef and Helena Malinowski, a Pomeranian couple who helped protect Jews during World War II.

Despite the risks, the Malinowskis, a poor farming family with three children, provided shelter to Deborah Shapira and her aunt Chasia Karpel, who had escaped from the death march of KL Stutthof prisoners.

The two women stayed with the Malinowskis in their house in Leśnia Jania for several weeks during the Nazi German evacuation of the Stutthof concentration camp in January 1945.

The Malinowskis were later awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations by Vad Yashem in 1985, joining the over 7,200 Polish Righteous who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination.

Following a mass at noon today, a memorial to the Malinowskis will be unveiled in front of the town hall in Leśna Jania, some 28km (17 miles) south of Starogard Gdański.

More information on today’s ceremonies, including the historic beatification of the Ulma family, can be found here.

Radio Gdańsk reporter Anna Rębas previously discussed Polish support of Jews during WW2 with Anna Kołakowska from the Institute of National Remembrance. The full interview (in Polish) is available here.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

The Polish men’s volleyball team will face off against Belgium tonight in Italy for a place in the quarterfinals of the men’s European Volleyball Championships.

The top-ranked Polish team is looking to extend their five-match EuroVolley winning streak when they face Belgium tonight at 21:00 CEST.

The 2023 European Volleyball Championships will continue until Friday, September 16.

Source: Polskie Radio, eurovolley.cev.eu

Several districts in Gdańsk will be without hot water as of Monday evening due to the ongoing construction of a pressure boosting station and connection of the city heating network to the Clean Energy Port, an incinerator fueled by non-recyclable waste.

As reported by Trojmiasto.pl, the interruption for those connected to city hot water supplies will last from around 23:00 on Monday, September 11, to the afternoon of Thursday, September 14.

Residents living in the districts of Orunia, Góra Mickiewicz, Sw. Wojciech, and Lipce should expect a service break of at least 24 hours beginning Monday evening, while residents of Ujeścisko-Łostowice, Chełm, Jasień, and Piecki-Migowo should be prepared for around 60 hours without access to city hot water supplies.

More information on the scheduled service cutoffs is available on the Gdańskie Przedsiębiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej (Grupa GPEC) website.

Source: trojmiasto.pl, grupagpec.pl

Weather

Today will be sunny and clear with very little chance of rain and a light breeze coming from the south. Temperatures will be on the hot side, with an afternoon high of 28°C or 83°F, dropping to a low of 15°C or 59°F overnight. Slightly cooler weather is expected tomorrow, with warm temps and generally fair weather expected over the next several days.

Elizabeth Peck/jk