Day 421 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• The NATO Secretary General visited Kyiv
• Zelensky said it is time for NATO to invite Ukraine to join
• British intelligence: Russia has sent a new batch of troops south into Ukraine
• Former adviser to Zelensky: Expect a Second Russian-Ukrainian war in the period 2027-2029
• A bright light illuminated the sky over Kyiv, an air alert was issued
• Help from the European Commission for the farmers- only after the lifting of the ban on Ukrainian imports
• The US is sending 5 million worth of military aid to Ukraine
• The authorities in Kyiv: Putin's double has visited the conflict zone in Ukraine
• Flightradar: US suspends strategic drone flights over Black Sea
• British Government: Russian hackers are trying to attack our key infrastructure
• Denmark and the Netherlands to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
• The captured Zaporizhzhia NPP will stop using American fuel

The NATO Secretary General visited Kyiv

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made a surprise visit to Ukraine, his first since Russia's aggression began and a clear sign of solidarity ahead of preparations for a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Stoltenberg honored the memory of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers and inspected destroyed Russian weapons in the center of Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian air defenses have repelled over 20 Russian kamikaze drone attacks over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of Ukraine reported that the attacks were mainly directed against the eastern Donetsk region, where the fighting for Bakhmut continues.

Against this background, another shipment of American air defense systems "Patriot" was delivered to Ukraine. Washington also announced a new large package of military aid to Kyiv.

"From today, the beautiful sky over Ukraine will be safer," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

Kyiv has received the Patriot air defense systems promised by Germany. Berlin has also organized an accelerated training program for Ukrainian soldiers to use the systems. American-made "Patriot" mobile batteries are one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the world. They can be used against fighter jets, ballistic and cruise missiles, but require up to 90 people to operate them.

Previously, according to Kyiv, Patriot systems were also provided by the United States, and the Netherlands sent components for them. Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced that Washington will send Ukraine additional military aid in the amount of 325 million dollars, including a large amount of ammunition and artillery shells.

"I thank the United States for another package of military aid that they are sending us. I would also like to highlight the efforts of the defenders of our skies - the Air Force. We are doing everything in our power to defend ourselves against Russian strikes. The air defense systems and other weapons, with which we defend our airspace, are already in Ukraine and they are very powerful. But they should be, and I'm sure they will become even more so," said Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine.

Moscow's reaction was not long in coming - the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that any arms deliveries to Ukraine, regardless of where they come from, are considered an open hostile anti-Russian act.

Zelensky said it is time for NATO to invite Ukraine to join

President Volodymyr Zelensky said it is time for NATO to make a political decision to invite Ukraine to join the military alliance and that Kyiv wants to know when it will become a member, Reuters reported.

The Ukrainian leader told a joint news conference in Kyiv with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that July's NATO summit in Vilnius could be "historic" and that he was invited to attend.

"I am grateful for the invitation to attend the meeting, but it is also important that Ukraine receives the corresponding invitation," he told reporters.

"There is not a single objective obstacle to the political decision to invite Ukraine to the alliance, and now that most people in NATO countries and the majority of Ukrainians support joining NATO, it is time for the relevant decisions," added Zelensky.

NATO is supporting Ukraine in the war, member countries are supplying weapons, but he says more is needed. All the delays in getting more weapons have caused deaths in Ukraine, Zelensky pointed out.

Stoltenberg, who is on his first visit to the country since Russia invaded 14 months ago, stressed that Ukraine's future lies in NATO.

"Let me be clear: Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO. And over time, our support will help you make that possible," he told reporters at the joint news conference.

Stoltenberg pledged to continue military support for Ukraine, saying the NATO allies have so far trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and provided 65 billion euros in military aid.

"NATO is with you today, tomorrow and as long as it takes," Stoltenberg stressed, before inviting Zelenskiy to a summit in Vilnius in July.

British intelligence: Russia has sent a new batch of troops south into Ukraine

For the first time, the Kremlin announces that a new "Dnieper group of troops" is fighting in Ukraine. This is stated in a new report by British intelligence analysts.

They draw attention to the fact that on April 18, the Kremlin published a press release about the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the occupied southern part of Ukraine, and it said that Putin visited the "Dnieper Group of Troops."

"This is one of the first mentions of the existence of the Dnieper Group of Forces. Russia uses the term 'group of forces' in a specific sense, indicating a large operational-target formation," explains British intelligence.

Analysts recall that at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces were organized into troop groups, each linked to its home military district in Russia, such as the Western and Central troop groups.

"The presence of a distinct new group suggests that the original organization of the force has changed, possibly due to heavy casualties," said military intelligence in London.

The agents suggest that the task of the new group of troops will be to defend the southern sector of the occupied Ukrainian territories and "especially the southwestern flank, which is currently marked by the Dnieper River."

Former adviser to Zelensky: Expect a Second Russian-Ukrainian war in the period 2027-2029

“Expect a Second Russo-Ukrainian War in the period 2027-2029”.

This was announced in an interview by the former adviser to the office of the Ukrainian president Oleksii Arestovych.

"Believe me, we should not expect normalcy from them until 2035. They will try to form a new empire, they will strive for it, including at our expense. This war may not be the last".

Former Yermak's advisor Oleksiy Arestovych says it is essential for Ukraine to prepare for the second war with Russia in 4-6 years' time. He believes Russia will attempt to learn from mistakes and have another go, similarly to the Second Chechen War. pic.twitter.com/hLz3bciCXu

— Dmitri (@wartranslated) April 19, 2023

The chance of a repeat Russian invasion in the next 4-6 years is so high that Kyiv must prepare for it now, the military expert points out.

“They will do the same as in the Second Chechen War - they will learn from their mistakes, they will come and win. (...) If we prepare well, they will not try because they will know that they will fail. But if we do not prepare, we will in effect tempt them to repeat it. Whatever they tell me, I will insist that the basis of Ukraine's strategic planning must now and forever be preparation for a Second Russo-Ukrainian War. Then we will build a proper government, efficient, above all, an economy that can provide security and defense.”

Arestovych noted that Russia is already taking measures for a future invasion.

"It is enough to see the plans for the reformation of the Russian army: 16 new divisions, a shock army, an increase in strength to 1.5 million people. It is clear what they are preparing for. They are preparing to win the second time, taking into account their mistakes" .

A bright light illuminated the sky over Kyiv, an air alert was issued

A bright light over Kyiv illuminated the sky above the Ukrainian capital around 10 p.m. local time. An air alert was declared in the city, the sirens were on.

Can’t catch a break... First air raid alert in Kyiv in several days went off tonight. The reason? According to authorities, NASA satellite debris fell to earth, passing through the airspace of Ukraine’s capital around 10pm and illuminating the sky. pic.twitter.com/vSlmCoUY5W

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 19, 2023

Many social media users commented that the air defenses probably shot down a Russian missile. The military explained that they had detected a target over Kyiv and were ready to shoot it down if necessary.

A "High energy acoustic event" - main center of special control at Ukrainian Space Agency. It took place yesterday over Kyiv at 21:57. A cosmic body entered the dense atmosphere layers. Estimated explosion location is in Kyiv region. pic.twitter.com/M5h2a6gkhm

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 20, 2023

A little later, it was reported that the light was from a falling NASA space satellite. The US space agency denied and announced that the device was still in orbit. There are also speculations that it might be a meteorite.

Help from the European Commission for the farmers- only after the lifting of the ban on Ukrainian imports

The package of 100 million euros proposed by the European Commission to help grain producers affected by Ukrainian imports is tied to the lifting of the ban on these imports.

This is stated in a statement by the executive vice-president of the EC, Valdis Dombrovskis, and the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski.

The two held a video conference with representatives of the five most affected countries - Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.

Commissioners have presented their proposals for the second package of financial aid for affected farmers. It contains the exceptional introduction of protective measures on key products and easing the transit of Ukrainian grain under the so-called “corridors of solidarity”.

It was agreed to continue political discussions in the coming days to find a quick solution to the issue.

The US is sending 5 million worth of military aid to Ukraine

The US has announced that it is sending Ukraine an additional 5 million in military aid, including a huge amount of artillery shells and ammunition.

Moscow has said that Russia considers any supply of arms to Kyiv as a hostile act.

This is the 36th munitions package for Ukraine released by the administration of President Joe Biden since August 2021. It is similar to previous deliveries that included missiles for the HIMARS systems and howitzers, as well as anti-tank munitions. All of this will be pulled from Pentagon stockpiles so it can get to the front lines quickly.

The United States will continue to work with its allies to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs and long-term security needs, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Kyiv earlier announced the arrival of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems sent by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. French light combat vehicles are already deployed at the front.

Officials in Kyiv have repeatedly said it is only a matter of time before Ukraine is militarily ready to launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces, and supplies of armored vehicles and ammunition are key to getting started.

Moscow warned that arms deliveries to Kyiv would have a negative impact on Russia's relations with the respective countries. This is how the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, reacted to statements from South Korea about the possibility of sending weapons to Ukraine.

The two sides blame each other for civilian casualties of shelling in the Donetsk region. "Russia is conducting defensive actions against the collective West, which has chosen the puppet regime in Kyiv as an instrument of its hybrid proxy war against us. In this situation, any arms deliveries are hostile actions," stressed Zakharova, adding that Russian strikes in Ukraine are highly accurate and for military purposes only.

Kyiv cast doubt on Kremlin reports that President Vladimir Putin visited annexed areas of Ukraine earlier this week. The Secretary of the National Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, claims that there was a doppelganger on the visit.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Cuba, the last country on his Latin American tour. He previously visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

The authorities in Kyiv: Putin's double has visited the conflict zone in Ukraine

Representatives of the official power in Ukraine have expressed serious doubts about President Putin's recent visit to the conflict zone in Ukraine, BTA reported, citing DPA.

"This was not the real Putin," Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, said in a televised segment yesterday. He did not provide specific evidence, but said there was a requirement to self-isolate for 10 to 14 days to speak with the real Putin.

We recall that the Kremlin reported that on Tuesday Putin traveled to the war zone in Ukraine, met with Russian soldiers and high-ranking officers fighting in the Kherson and Luhansk regions.

The Kremlin also released a short video showing Putin getting off a helicopter and shaking hands with those in uniform.

However, according to Danilov, it was "an ordinary doppelganger, of which, as we know, there are several". He even called Putin a "scared man".

Danilov contrasted this behavior of the first person in the Kremlin with the behavior of President Zelensky, calling Putin a "bunker grandfather", DPA added.

Flightradar: US suspends strategic drone flights over Black Sea

The US is completely suspending flights of its strategic Global Hawk drones over the Black Sea after the accident with the US Reaper drone, according to data from Flightradar24. This information has been confirmed to the agency by an informed source.

According to Flightradar24, the US Global Hawk last flew over the waters of the Black Sea off the Crimean coast on March 21. Since then, US strategic drones based in Sicily have not re-entered the airspace over the Black Sea. During the entire previous period since the beginning of the war, they had averaged 8 to 10 reconnaissance flights per month over the peninsular sea.

According to Flightradar24, from March 21 to April 20, the drones made only three flights from the airbase in Sicily, but all of them took place within the borders of Romanian airspace at a distance of more than 400 km from Crimea, i.e. out of range of the drone's radar station, which is capable of receiving radar images of the area at a maximum distance of 200 km.

The last time an American strategic Global Hawk drone flew over the Black Sea against Crimea was on March 21.

Since the accident with the US Reaper drone that fell into the waters of the Black Sea on March 14, there have been only two more Global Hawk flights over the Black Sea - on March 17 and 21 - both no closer than 140 kilometers from the southern coast of Crimea.

According to a source, the American command has considered the further continuation of flights in the area to be inexpedient.

British Government: Russian hackers are trying to attack our key infrastructure

Russian hackers are trying to attack key infrastructure in Britain, the British government warns. The Island's National Cyber Security Center has issued a formal threat notification to electricity, water and other key service providers urging them to strengthen their defenses.

“Over the past 18 months, the National Cyber Security Center has observed the emergence of several Russia-linked groups sympathetic to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Kind of like the cyber equivalent of the Wagner Group. They initially focused their attacks on Ukraine and the region around it, but have recently begun to turn their attention to the United Kingdom and its allies. They are now looking for opportunities to compromise our critical national infrastructure. We have faced attempted attacks in the past, but these groups operate in a different way," warned Minister Oliver Dowden.

Denmark and the Netherlands to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Denmark and the Netherlands will jointly donate 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, Danish news agency Ritzau reported on Thursday, citing Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, reports Reuters.

Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the tanks should reach Ukraine in early 2024.

Denmark has also committed to sending up to 100 tanks of the older Leopard 1 model, with at least 80 of them to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of 2023, Poulsen said.

"The government's ambition is for us to be one of the biggest donors in terms of our size. This is because it is so important that our friends in Ukraine receive maximum support," he said, according to Danish news agency Ritzau.

The captured Zaporizhzhia NPP will stop using American fuel

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia seized last year, will stop using American nuclear fuel as soon as possible, Interfax reported, citing high-ranking Russian officials.

Europe's largest nuclear power plant, built during the Soviet era, initially used Russian nuclear fuel, but Ukraine gradually switched to supplies from Westinghouse after the first conflict with Russia in 2014.

Last year, Russian armed forces seized the plant and it has since been at the center of a nuclear safety crisis due to near-constant shelling near it, which Moscow and Kyiv blame each other for.

Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the CEO of the Russian energy company Rosenergoatom, which currently operates the plant, told Interfax that it has four years' worth of American nuclear fuel.

However, from there they will look for ways to replace it with Russian fuel as quickly as possible, as they believe that its own technology is better.

Novinite is still the only Bulgarian media that publishes a summary of events and highlights related to the conflict, every single day. Our coverage began on day one - 24.02.2022 and will not stop until the war has concluded. Despite the pressure, our independent media will continue to provide its readers with accurate and up-to-date information. Thank you for your support! #stayinformed

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