- Mykhailo Simashkevych, formerly the Mayor of Kamianets Podilskyi, now the District Governor, has visited Kalisz many times. He is a great friend to our city. Today, during his visit to Poland, he came to Kalisz again. It is thanks to this, that we have the opportunity to talk and check up on how our sister city and Ukraine as a whole are doing. We will continue to talk and seek support for the City of Kamianets Podilskyi and the district - declares Mayor Krystian Kinastowski.

The District Governor presented the Mayor with the highest merit award, given by the Kamianets Podilskyi District Council, as well as an honorary medal for volunteer work.

- I would like to express my gratitude to the Mayor and the residents of the City of Kalisz for their help both during the war and before it broke out. The way the Poles helped Ukraine, no other nation did. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the citizens and to present the Mayor with an award from the district and council of Kamianets Podilskyi. In addition to material and financial assistance, we have always been able to count on moral support and interest in matters of our security- emphasised Mykhailo Simashkevych, the District Governor.

The meeting with the Ukrainian guests was an opportunity to obtain up-to-date information on the situation in the country and in the partner region.

Although no rockets have hit Kamianets Podilskyi, anti-aircraft alerts are still in effect as air defence operations are being carried out over the territory of the city. 400 young men from the region were killed on the frontlines. There are 30,000 Ukrainian refugees in the region, many of whom have nowhere to return to, as their villages have been razed to the ground and the entire area, except for roads, has been landmined. The war is present in every aspect of state and local government activity.

As the District Governor emphasised, the inhabitants of Kamianets Podilskyi who came to Kalisz to seek refuge from the war could always find warmth and safety here.

Currently, the City of Kalisz provides accommodation for 70 people in the Orione Student House and 27 people in the "Bulionik" Student House.

We are also helping those who have remained in their homeland.

The City of Kalisz arranged five transports of humanitarian aid to Kamianets Podilskyi with a total value of approximately 28,000 euros. The donations included mattresses, sleeping bags, medical and first aid supplies, food, diesel fuel and heaters. In cooperation with Kalisz residents, the sister towns of Hamm, Erfurt, Hautmont, Preston and Heerhugowaard joined in, donating more than 63,000 złotys and material aid. In cooperation with the PKS company, we picked up refugees from Przemyśl coming from Kamianets and other cities. Kalisz Bus Line operator KLA donated two buses that were no longer in use in Kalisz, which are helping to arrange transport for the residents of Kamianets Podilskyi.

These are just a few examples of the activities undertaken by the Kalisz local government with the participation of NGOs and private residents.

Since the beginning of the war, schools and kindergartens have also taken care of the children and supported the process of education and adaptation in the country. Currently, 6 Ukrainian children remain under the care of public kindergartens. 644 Ukrainian pupils study in Kalisz's public educational institutions, most of them - 550 children - in primary schools. Non-public kindergartens are attended by 167 Ukrainian children, non-public post-secondary schools by 12 and non-public technical schools by 19.

District Governor Mykhailo Simashkevych is visiting Kalisz with his advisor, Denys Shevchuk.