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A30 world News
Dialuna 21 Februari 2022

Calm prevails at Poland-Ukraine border Survivor and body found on

despite growing fears burning ferry off Greek island

(AP) — As tensions soar troops and equipment sur- can’t see inhabitants trying
in Ukraine’s east and rounding the country on to protect themselves in any
Western leaders issue dire three sides, an attack could way. But one thing is still in
warnings that a wider war happen at any time. People my mind: what will happen
could be coming, calm in Poland, which was con- if a wave of refugees from
persists along Ukraine’s trolled by Moscow during Ukraine starts? This is what
western border with Eu- the Cold War, are following (people) fear most,” Gumi-
ropean Union nation Po- the news of Russia’s military enny told The Associated
land. buildup with concern. The Press on Saturday. Poland is
Polish government last year one of the easternmost mem-
A sports center painted with became embroiled in a mi- bers of NATO and the EU.
the Olympic rings in a small gration dispute with another Many Poles think member-
Polish community directly eastern neighbor, Russian ship in those organizations
on the border stands ready ally Belarus. offers a good deal of protec-
to house Ukrainian refugees. Poland and the European tion from Russia as Putin
For now, the center in Me- Union accused Belarus of as- seeks to reassert Russia’s au-
dyka is empty. At the nearby sisting people from the Mid- thority in a region that he be-
border crossing, there is no dle East to cross the border lieves should return to Mos- (AP) — Greek emergency workers rescued a Belarus-
sign of Ukrainians fleeing. into Poland. The Polish gov- cow’s sphere of influence. sian truck driver Sunday from a burning ferry off the
ernment called the migration island of Corfu and found the body of another man
Many Ukrainians do just part of an effort of hybrid war Prime Minister Mateusz as they combed the wreckage for missing passengers.
the opposite: cross the bor- aimed at destabilizing central Morawiecki said this week The discoveries left 10 people still unaccounted for.
der back into Ukraine after Europe and the EU. that a “free and sovereign
working or shopping in Po- Ukraine” was a matter of na- The truck driver, in his 20s, was able to make his way up
land, some defiantly vowing Mariusz Gumienny, the tional interest for Poland. In to the left rear deck on his own, and told rescue workers
to defend their country in town council chairman in addition to readying a plan he heard other voices below. There were no further details
case of a Russian invasion. Medyka, said the thousands to help any Ukrainians who identifying the victim, the first body recovered from the
of additional U.S. troops might flee, Poland is also ship.
“Russia expected everyone who arrived in the area are sending defensive weapons
to panic and flee to Europe, helping to maintain a sense to its neighbor. “The fact that this man succeeded, despite adverse condi-
to just buy buckwheat and of security. tions, to exit into the deck and alert the coast guard ... gives
pasta, food, but we all bought “It calms the mood,” he said. At an international secu- us hope that there may be other (survivors),” coast guard
machine guns and weapons rity conference in Munich, spokesman Nikos Alexiou told state broadcaster ERT.
and cartridges,” Volodymyr The U.S. deployed nearly Germany, Morawiecki said
Halyk, 29, said. “No one is 5,000 more troops to Poland Saturday that Poland plans The Italian-owned Euroferry Olympia, which was carrying
afraid, no one will abandon in recent weeks. They come to send more weapons to more than 290 passengers and crew as well as 153 trucks
their homes, no one will in addition to 4,000 rota- Ukraine. He said he thinks and 32 cars, caught fire Friday, three hours after it left the
flee.” tional troops the U.S. began that Western countries have northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa bound for the Ital-
Halyk and a friend, Volody- sending after Russian actions long ignored Russia’s at- ian city of Brindisi. The Greek coast guard and other boats
myr Yermakov, described against Ukraine in 2014. The tempts to restore its sway in evacuated about 280 people to the nearby island of Corfu.
themselves as veterans of the job of the American soldiers the region but are finally be- The ferry has been towed to the port of Kassiopi, in north-
war against Russia-backed is to reassure NATO ally coming aware of the risk to eastern Corfu. Firefighters were still battling the blaze in
separatists that began in east- Poland and to be in place to all of Europe. spots Sunday and a thick smoke still blanketed the ship.
ern Ukraine in 2014. Yerma- help evacuate U.S. citizens
kov, 34, said he was prepared or Ukrainians should that be Halyk, one of the Ukrainians Alexiou said his understanding was that the truck driver
to take up arms again should necessary. vowing to defend his home- hadn’t heard any voices just before making his way onto the
Russian President Vladimir land, had his own warning deck but added “the situation is evolving.” The survivor was
Putin launch an invasion. Local residents stand ready for Europe. taken to a hospital for a medical exam.
to help Ukrainians if the ten-
“Putin is an aggressor and sions with Russia escalate “Remember, when the last The extreme temperatures in some parts of the ship have
does not allow anyone to live into a broader conflict, ac- Ukrainian soldier dies, it impeded the Greek fire service’s Disaster Management
a normal life,” he said. “They cording to Gumienny. But he will be your turn,” he said. Unit and a team of private rescuers from searching the
want to take our territory, and says people also worry that “That is why we must unite, whole ship. The ferry is slightly listing from the tons of wa-
that’s the truth.” a large number of arrivals because we have a common ter poured into it to douse the fire but authorities say it’s not
could overwhelm the town goal, you can even say a com- in danger of capsizing.
Russia has denied plans to or that a prolonged war in mon enemy, who will always
invade Ukraine, but West- Ukraine might cause wider want more, who is blood- Two passengers were rescued Saturday. One wasn’t on the
ern officials have said that instability. thirsty, who will not allow ship’s manifest and was presumably a migrant. The other
with an estimated 150,000 “There is no panic. You anyone to live in peace.” person, a 65-year-old Bulgarian truck driver, had respira-
tory problems and is on a ventilator in a Corfu hospital’s
intensive care unit.
A Greek prosecutor on Corfu has ordered an investigation
into the cause of the fire. The Italy-based company that op-
erates the ferry said the fire started in a hold where vehicles
were parked.
The ship’s captain and two engineers were arrested Friday
but were released the same day, authorities said.
Passengers described the initial evacuation as dramatic.

“We heard the alarm. We thought it was some kind of drill.
But we saw through the portholes that people were run-
ning,” truck driver Dimitris Karaolanidis told The Associ-
ated Press. “You can’t think something at the time (other
than) your family ... When I hit the deck, I saw smoke and
children. Fortunately, they (the crew) acted quickly.”