???? Live: NATO’s Stoltenberg visits Kyiv for first time since Russian invasion of Ukraine

Issued on: 20/04/2023 – 12:45

11:53am: Switzerland adds Wagner Group and RIA to list of Russia sanctions

Switzerland will add the private military Wagner Group and news agency RIA to its list of sanctions against Russia, the Swiss Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) said on Thursday.

The changes take effect from 6 pm (1600 GMT) on Thursday, it added.

10:30am: Battle for Bakhmut rages on as both sides enter an attrition phase

The battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut has intensified in recent weeks, with reports of heavy fighting and casualties on both sides in what is now the longest and bloodiest standoff of the war.

Since last summer, Russian troops have been fighting to capture the city, with Kyiv’s forces holding out despite Moscow’s frequent claims of advancements. Russia has stepped up its offensive with better cooperation between the regular army and Wagner paramilitary troops. 

01:44

10:22am: NATO chief makes first visit to Kyiv since Russian invasion

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Thursday, his first since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian media and a NATO official said. The Kyiv Independent newspaper published images of Stoltenberg in front of a memorial for fallen soldiers in central Kyiv.

The photographs showed Stoltenberg with his head down in front of the memorial. Many Western officials travelling to Kyiv do not announce their trips in advance for security reasons. “The NATO Secretary General is in Ukraine. We will release more information as soon as possible,” a NATO official said.

Stoltenberg’s visit comes 14 months into Russia’s invasion and ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive. NATO has pledged to stand by Ukraine as it fights Russia. 

Earlier this month, Stoltenberg invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a NATO summit in July. He also said Russian President Vladimir Putin had “wanted to slam NATO’s door shut” but “failed”.

10:18am: Hungary bans import of honey, certain meat products from Ukraine

Hungary has banned the import of certain meat products and honey in addition to grains from Ukraine until June 30, the prime minister’s chief of staff said on Thursday.

The ban on imports of major cereals and agricultural products “includes a total of twenty five products, the most important of which are cereals rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, oil, honey and certain meat products,” Gergely Gulyas told a news conference.

9:45am: Flash over Kyiv probably meteorite, says Ukraine space agency

A mysterious flash over Kyiv that spread confusion and fears of a Russian missile attack was likely a meteorite, a Ukrainian space official told AFP Thursday.

“We cannot identify what it was exactly, but our assumption is that it was a meteorite,” Igor Korniyenko, the deputy head of a control centre at Ukraine’s national space agency.

9:36am: Denmark, Netherlands to give Ukraine 14 Leopard tanks

Denmark said Thursday that it and the Netherlands had agreed to buy and donate 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, as more heavy weapons are being pledged to Kyiv.

“The Netherlands and Denmark today announce our intention to jointly acquire, refurbish and donate 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine following our successful collaboration with Germany on the supply of at least 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks,” the Danish defence ministry said in a statement, adding that the tanks would be supplied from “early 2024”.

6:30am: US to coordinate with South Korea on additional Ukraine support 

The United States will continue to coordinate closely with South Korea on more support for Ukraine, calling its key Asian ally “a stalwart partner” in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty, a US State Department spokesperson said.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the country might go beyond humanitarian or financial aid for Ukraine under certain circumstances, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

South Korea’s decision on whether to send military aid to Kyiv depends on Russia’s actions, Seoul’s presidential office said Thursday, adding that a possible large-scale civilian attack could tip the balance.

Seoul has a long-standing policy against providing weapons to countries in active conflict, which it has repeatedly said makes it difficult to supply arms directly to Ukraine.

5:58am: US-made Patriot air defence systems arrive in Ukraine

American-made Patriot missiles have arrived in Ukraine, the country’s defence minister said Wednesday, providing Kyiv with a long-sought new shield against the Russian airstrikes that have devastated cities and civilian infrastructure.

The US agreed in October to send the surface-to-air systems, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles such as those that Russia has used to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid.

“Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure,” Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a tweet.

• Key developments on Tuesday, April 18

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Tuesday for like-minded countries to “join forces” against Western sanctions “blackmail,” as the longtime diplomat continued his tour of Latin America.

Ukraine received its first Patriot air defense systems as well as a comprehensive aid package from the US. 

South Korea said it might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, President Yoon Suk Yeol said, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)