"Poland has descended into a momentary crisis of government, with some oppositionists going so far as to claim a "coup" is underway, but it's still perhaps far too early to know where things stand on the ground.
Polish Police on Friday night have apparently surrounded and cordoned off the headquarters of the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw, coming amid a running crisis over the body's leadership which has pitted Prime Minister Donald Tusk against his two main political adversaries.Tusk and his governing coalition are in a standoff with allies of the former Law and Justice (PiS) administration, as well as the current president of the country, Karol Nawrocki.
The Friday night chaos started when it was the Polish official agency PAP which was the first to report that court chief Bogdan Święczkowski and his number two, Bartlomiej Sochanski, were suspended for a month by order of Judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska.
"The duties of the president of the Constitutional Court, Bogdan Święczkowski, and his deputy were suspended," EuroNews confirms.
The police action at the tribunal then prompted Polish President Nawrocki to abrubtly turn back his plane en route to Senegal for a scheduled state visit.
Protesters soon descended on the same location, as well as police. From there...
Opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński has described the police action as a “coup” against the Constitutional Tribunal involving services under the government of pro-EU Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
There's meanwhile been confusion over Judge Korwin-Piotrowska's order, which additionally reflected the court's leadership changes on its website:
Shortly after, the Constitutional Tribunal itself released a message on its social networks stating that the page had been the object of an "illegal takeover", that Korwin-Piotrowska was not acting on behalf of the court, and that anyone involved in these actions "is committing the crime of coup d’état".
In an initial public reaction on social media, Tusk maintained that the restoration of the rule of law "is a duty" and that "after years of arbitrariness" "a difficult, sometimes painful process that requires determined action" has begun because "there is no other way". ZeroHedge
"Russian authorities claim that more than two hundred of them were shot down as they approached the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and Russian media outlets have reported this.According to Sobyanin, 231 drones were allegedly destroyed as they approached Moscow, while most of the others were neutralized well outside the capital’s perimeter. The Russian side has not provided any independent confirmation of these figures.
Throughout the night, the mayor of the Russian capital regularly reported on the air defense operations. As of 5:00 a.m., he stated that 109 drones had been destroyed since the start of the day. Sobyanin also assured that emergency services were working at the crash sites, but, as usual, did not provide any details regarding specific consequences or damage.
Amid the massive drone attack, Russian aviation authorities were forced to urgently implement the “Kover” plan and restrict operations at key airports in the Moscow air hub: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky." UN
"A very strong magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean near the coast of n/a in the early morning at 12.49 am local time (GMT -7). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was reported felt by some people near the epicenter." VD
"211 combat engagements were recorded along the front line.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, Russian forces launched three airstrikes using six guided aerial bombs and carried out 37 shelling attacks on Ukrainian positions and settlements.
In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, Ukrainian units repelled seven enemy attacks near the settlements of Starytsia, Izbytske, Chaikivka, Okhrimivka, Mala Vovcha, and Sheviakivka.
In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces made no attempts to improve their position.
Attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses were repelled in the Lyman sector, where Russian forces launched eight attacks toward the settlements of Stepove, Kolodiazi, Lyman, Zarichne, Donetske, and Dibrova.
In the Sloviansk sector, the enemy launched four attacks near the settlements of Orikhuvatka, Yampil, Kryva Luka, and Mykolaivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Russian forces carried out one assault toward Vasiutynske.
In the Kostiantynivka sector, 24 Russian attacks were recorded. According to updated information, Russian forces conducted offensive operations near the town of Kostiantynivka and toward the settlements of Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Novoselivka, Dovha Balka, Druzhkivka, Rusyn Yar, Petrivka, Toretske, Pryiut, Vilne, and Zolotyi Kolodiaz.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Russian forces launched 19 attacks attempting to advance toward the settlements of Dobropillia, Novyi Donbas, Hannivka, Rodynske, Svitle, Novohryshyne, Myrne, Serhiivka, Kotlyne, Molodetske, Novopidhorodnie, and Novopavlivka.
In the Huliaipole sector, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian defenders’ positions 18 times, attempting to advance toward the settlements of Uspishne, Ternuvate, Yehorivka, Hirke, and Charivne.
In the Orikhiv sector, Russian forces launched two attacks toward Yehorivka." Ukrin
