VLADIMIR Putin launched a massive swarm of kamikaze drones at Ukraine just hours after bizarrely proposing direct peace talks “without preconditions”;;.
The aerial blitz shattered hopes for a truce, coming straight after the tyrant issued by Western leaders – or face crippling new sanctions.
Explosions rocked , Zhytomyr, Donetsk and Mykolaivin the early hours as ‘s Shahed hammered civilian targets and military sites.
It came just after a 1am press conference where Putin dramatically rejected a month-long ceasefire but insisted was .
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday that the talks will take into account the situation on the ground as well as the negotiations of 2022, the Interfax agency reported.
Volodymyr Zelensky today demanded that Putin agree to a ceasefire by Monday to trigger peace talks this week in Istanbul.
He said of the Russian dictator’s overnight statement: “This is a good sign that the Russians are finally thinking about ending the war.
“Everyone in the world has been waiting for this for a very long time.
“And the very first step in the real end of any war is a ceasefire.
“There is no point in continuing the killings even for a day.
“We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – complete, lasting and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”;;
Instead of dropping weapons, ended a brief, unilateral three-way truce by unleashing the brutal night-time air assault – with residents of Kyiv woken by blasts and sirens.
“There are explosions of Shahids in Kyiv, you can hear the landings,”;; said one local woman, Olena.
“From us the airport is less than a mile... you can hear how they are trying to shoot down the drones.”;;
In the Kyiv region, a 70-year-old pensioner was injured in the strike, amid claims an air base was targeted.
Russian bombs also battered Mykolaiv, and deafening blasts were reported in Donetsk and Zhytomyr.
Clock’s ticking
Putin’s latest show of aggression came after he was slapped with a by the leaders of Britain, , and , who gathered in Kyiv with President .
They warned that without a full stop to hostilities, would be hit with tougher sanctions – including on its oil exports and banks – and the West would ramp up arms shipments to .
Sir , who stood shoulder to shoulder with Zelensky during the talks, said: “All of us together with the US are calling Putin out.”;;
He declared it was time to “win the battle for peace”;; and promised would be “armed to the teeth”;; if Putin refuses to comply.
French president cautiously welcomed Putin’s peace overture as “a first but insufficient step”;;, adding: “An unconditional ceasefire must not be preceded by negotiations.
“[Putin] is looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”;;
President was also brought into the discussion with European leaders via phone.
Sources say the call was warm, and that Trump gave the plan his full support.
He later said: “A potentially great day for and ! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending “bloodbath”;; hopefully comes to an end.
“It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens.
“The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!”;;
Putin peace?
Putin claimed he was serious about the talks,
“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine,”;; he said.
“We do not rule out that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire.”;;
But in the same breath, he accused Ukraine and the West of seeking only to and arm up.
“Our proposal is, as they say, on the table,”;; the despot added.
“The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their [Western] curators, who, apparently guided by their personal political ambitions... want to continue the war with Russia through the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.”;;
Putin’s crony Dmitry Rogozin, meanwhile, declared: “The curtseys are over. The usual combat work has begun.”;;
He posted a video glorifying Russian strikes on Ukraine, boasting they aimed to destroy “enemy infantry hiding in the night forest belt.”;;
Putin’s ploy appears designed to trap Zelensky – by offering talks while still raining down bombs.
If Ukraine refuses, will claim Kyiv wants war.
But if they accept, they’ll be doing so under threat of fire, with Putin already making clear he won’t back down from demands that could leave Ukraine exposed to future attacks.
Putin insisted: “We propose to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.
“Let me remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared... but at the insistence of the West, it was thrown into the trash.”;;
Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of breaching its own ceasefire with continued attacks in recent days — even before last night’s full-scale drone strike.
US intelligence has warned Putin could launch a “massive airstrike”;; on Kyiv this week, while Russia plans to close airspace over its Kapustin Yar missile test site early Monday — fuelling fears of further escalations.
And former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev dismissed the West’s peace push with a vile slur, saying: “Shove these plans into your pangender a****!”;;
