The head of NATO on a surprise visit to Kiev, Denmark and the Netherlands which will deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, a mysterious flash in the sky of Kiev... Le Figaro takes stock of
the
situation of the war in Ukraine this Thursday, April 20.
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Russia: explosion in the center of Belgorod, a Russian city near Ukraine
An explosion sounded Thursday in the center of Belgorod, a Russian city located not far from Ukraine, leaving an impressive crater, said the local governor, adding that no casualties were to be reported immediately.
The explosion was caused by ammunition "
dropping
" from a Russian fighter jet, Russian authorities said.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: why China could take advantage of the weakening of Russia
“
An explosion has occurred.
According to preliminary information, no casualties.
At the crossroads of one of the central streets, a huge crater 20 meters in diameter has formed
,” the local governor said on Telegram.
The Belgorod region is regularly targeted by drones and missiles from Ukraine, according to Russian authorities.
NATO must ensure Ukraine 'trumps' Russia, says Stoltenberg on surprise visit to kyiv
The Secretary General of NATO estimated Thursday in Kiev, on a surprise visit, that his priority was a Ukrainian military victory over Russia and that the question of Ukraine's accession to the Alliance will be debated in July during the top of the organization.
“
The future of Ukraine is in the Euro-Atlantic family, the future of Ukraine is in NATO.
At the same time, the main objective of the Alliance, of the allies, is to ensure that Ukraine wins,
” noted Jens Stoltenberg in Kiev, alongside Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in central kyiv on April 20, 2023. GLEB GARANICH / REUTERS
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged NATO to invite his country to join the Alliance and asked for its help to "
overcome the reluctance
" of the allies to deliver crucial weapons to Kiev to fight Russia.
"
It is time
" for NATO to invite Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky told Jens Stoltenberg, also asking the latter "
to help us overcome the reluctance of our partners regarding the delivery
" of weapons "
to long range, modern aviation, artillery, armored vehicles
”.
Read alsoJens Stoltenberg, the man who woke up NATO
Russia sees this support as proof that the Alliance and the United States are waging a proxy war in Ukraine and continues to denounce NATO expansion to its borders.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that one of Moscow's goals in Ukraine remained to prevent that country from joining NATO.
“
Otherwise, it would pose a serious threat to our country and its security
,” he said.
Denmark and the Netherlands to deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
Denmark and the Netherlands will buy 14 Leopard 2 tanks for 165 million euros in order to donate them to Ukraine, which is demanding more heavy weapons, the Danish Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday.
“
The Netherlands and Denmark today announce their intention to acquire, refurbish and donate to Ukraine 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks following our successful collaboration with Germany for the delivery of at least 100 Leopard tanks 1A5
,” according to a ministry statement.
A Spanish Leopard 2 tank during a military exercise at Crystal Arrow 2023 in Adazi, Latvia, March 29, 2023. INTS KALNINS / REUTERS
The tanks will be supplied from “
early 2024
”, specifies the ministry, indicating that the estimated cost of 165 million euros will be “
shared equally
” between the two countries.
"
In this way, we will jointly participate in the Leopard 2+ coalition, supported by many partners and allies
," the statement added.
Read alsoUkrainian War: why kyiv is asking for Leopard 2 tanks
A mysterious flash in the sky of kyiv
A mysterious flash lit up the skies of kyiv on Wednesday evening and triggered a brief anti-aircraft alert.
It is probably due to a meteorite, the Ukrainian space agency told AFP on Thursday.
"
We can't exactly identify the thing.
Our hypothesis is that it is a meteorite, but to establish its exact nature, we lack data
,” the deputy head of the Ukrainian space agency's control center told AFP. Igor Kornienko.
View of the city of kyiv (illustration) DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP
The military administration of the Ukrainian capital assured this morning that this flash is not due to the use of a weapon.
“
It's up to the experts to find out what exactly it was.
The most important thing is the safety of kyiv and its inhabitants.
It was not a missile attack and our anti-aircraft defense did not use its weapons
,” said Serguii Popko, head of the city's military administration.
The Kremlin reacts to rumors of a Putin lookalike
The Kremlin said it found it "
strange
" on Thursday that a senior Ukrainian official considers it to be a look-alike of Vladimir Putin who recently visited the occupied Ukrainian territories and not the Russian president himself.
“
I can only say that these statements are strange to say the least
,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, reacting to the Ukrainian accusations.
Read alsoPotemkin look-alike and village: Putin's visit to Mariupol fuels the craziest rumors
Secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council Oleksiy Danilov said on Wednesday night that the Kremlin master's visit to the occupied part of the Kherson region was staged, saying he was actually a lookalike of the Russian leader which had been shown in the media.
"
There was no Putin there
," he said on television.
"
It's a look-alike, it's well known
," added the official.
