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Milford Haven twin town Uman, Ukraine attacked by Russia

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MILFORD HAVEN’S twin city Uman has been attacked and hit by Russian missiles following the invasion of Ukraine.

As conflict spread across the eastern European nation, Ukrainian authorities were forced to order the evacuation of civilians from Uman as Russia launched attacks on the Jewish-hub.

Shlomi Elisha, a United Hatzalah (volunteer-based emergency medical service) representative predicted that the town would be hit due to nearby weapon deposits.

“The Uman municipality has begun evacuating hundreds of families from the city, the danger is very great — there are many weapons depots in the area and the explosions are intense,” they told Army Radio.

Around 7am on the 25th of February, security footage saw a missile hit the streets of Uman just streets away from a line of synagogues.

The video shows the Russian missile making direct impact with a civilian, who was cycling down the road.

A nearby pizza parlour was blown out, with its windows completely smashed.

Pro-Russian telegram channels shared videos of the pizza shop, street and dead cyclist.

At least one civilian has been killed, with 25 people said to be injured.

Milford Haven has been twinned to Uman since 1990.

The current mayor of Milford Haven Kathy Gray, Cllr XX, said the events were “sad and really worrying and I will pray for everyone to be safe.”

In 2012, the Mayor, Councillor G. Woodham and his Consort C. Sharo undertook a historic visit to the city.

2012: Milford Haven mayor visits in historic trip to Uman.

It is situated in the Cherkasy Oblast province in central Ukraine, around 210km south of capital city Kyiv.

The town is a cultural and religious hub for Jews in Ukraine.

Every year, more than 10,000 pilgrims visit Uman during Rosh Hashanah to visit the grave of Nachman of Breslov, great grandson of the Rabbi who is thought to be the founder of the modern Hasidic movement.

Russia claim the operations towards Uman were to knock out military and command infrastructure in Ukraine – and not to harm the citizens.

A letter of appreciation from the Mayor and Chairman of Uman Town following 20 years of being twinned to Milford Haven

It’s citizens are currently providing medical care and logistical assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Haim Hazin, a community representative, said: “We love Ukraine and we will defend it.”

“At the beginning of hostilities, we handed over 12 bags with Israeli first aid kits to the army.”

He insisted Jews in Uman were “determined to help in any way we can.”

He continued: “It hurts us, we fear for Ukraine, this is sacred land for us here in Uman, where Rabbi Nachman is buried.”

Hazin added partnered Israel organisations “also sent specialists who conducted a tactical medicine course, sharing Israeli technologies on how to stop a wound from bleeding.” 

Milford Haven town council enjoying a meal at The Starboard Hotel with friends from Uman, Ukraine – Wednesday 6th July 2016

Since it’s inception in the 18th century, Uman has had a thriving Jewish population.

However, in World War 2 – the population was the target of the anti-Jewish attack by the Nazi regime. An estimated 17,000 Jews were killed from Uman during the Holocaust.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Orthodox Jewish families have moved to Uman to live within a community of like mindedness.

Resident’s of Podil, a neighbourhood in Kyiv, said that the Jewish community never had any conflicts.

“Never, never have we had any conflicts or misunderstandings, every morning we greet the Jewish children with a smile as they board their school buses.” said a local resident.

Tuesday, however, “was a hard day, no one in town had a smile or a greeting” following the attacks.

The same resident ended with a plea to “defend ourselves, defend our Kyiv, defend Podil, and the church, and the synagogue.”

Visiting the Milford Haven Museum with delegates from the twin town in Uman, Ukraine on Tuesday 5th July 2016

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

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A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

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BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

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THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old. 

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Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

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THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines docked at Pembroke Port last week, marking the start of physical deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today  (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.

The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week with the first components,” she said. “We are expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

The Weather conditions were favourable for the arrival of the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.

Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

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