As every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the most important information of this Thursday, April 20th, about the war in Ukraine.
A mysterious fireball
A missile, another attack on the city? In the midst of the war in Ukraine, we imagine that a huge flash of light in the sky causes many concerns. This is what happened last night over the Ukrainian capital. A ball of fire passed across the sky and many pictures bear witness to it.
A strange celestial phenomenon was just seen at #Kiev and in the area…
The alarm was raised, but the anti-aircraft defenses were not deployed…
So far, no official statement has been given.A satellite fell?
A rocket prototype? … pic.twitter.com/9OktjgXRbw— Alla Poedie \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 (@AllaPoedie) April 19, 2023
It was not a new blow, but the burning in the atmosphere of a 300 kg satellite that NASA had announced was about to crash. On Telegram, the head of the military administration of Kiev stated that “around 10 p.m. (7 p.m. in France) the glow of an airborne object was observed in the sky of Kiev. According to initial information, this phenomenon is the result of the crash of a NASA satellite to Earth,” reports AFP, quoted by France Inter.
The end of the grain export agreement?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that nothing had been done to address Russia’s concerns over Ukraine’s grain export deal.
Russia has repeatedly warned that the deal will not be extended beyond May 18 unless the West removes obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
The list of Ukrainian products banned in Hungary is growing
Hungary has banned imports of honey and certain meat products, as well as grains from Ukraine until June 30, the prime minister’s chief of staff announced on Thursday, increasing pressure on the country and the European Union to take more action.
Brussels on Wednesday announced a €100 million plan to financially compensate farmers in five neighboring countries of Ukraine who have been facing an influx of cheap Ukrainian imports since the Russian invasion.
According to a joint request sent by five countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – at the end of March, “emergency preventive measures” will be taken for wheat, maize, sunflower seeds and rapeseed, the European Commission said.
However, Hungary and Poland have requested to include other products in these emergency measures.
The Hungarian ban on imports from Ukraine “affects a total of 25 products, the most important of which are cereals, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, flour, oil, honey and certain meat bases,” Gergely Gulyas said on Thursday.
The transit of Ukrainian grain remains allowed, but make sure it is done in a “controlled way,” he added to national news agency MTI.
Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said Wednesday talks with Brussels on imports from Ukraine would resume early next week.
NATO Secretary General in Kyiv
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg traveled to Kiev on Thursday for his first visit to the Ukrainian capital since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
This visit demonstrates NATO’s support for Ukraine as it prepares for a counteroffensive.
Jens Stoltenberg paid his respects to fallen Ukrainian soldiers and observed the remains of damaged Russian military equipment on display in a square in central Kiev, a Portal photographer saw.