"Flames Erupt Near Putin's £1bn Palace as War Threatens His Hidden Bunker"

This is the moment the war finally arrived at the front gates of Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion clifftop mega-mansion.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing from a stricken vessel right off the coast of Gelendzhik.

Smoke pouring from the suspected shadow fleet tankers off Gelendzhik. Credit: East2West Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion clifftop palace overlooking the Black Sea. Credit: East2West

The burning hulk is suspected to be a “shadow fleet” tanker used by Putin to dodge international sanctions.

The inferno broke out in full view of the tyrant’s palace, which is famously kitted out with high-tech underground bunkers.

Putin is said to be hiding out in his bolt-hole, terrified of a Ukrainian drone strike or a coup from his own inner circle.

The Russian tyrant is under fire at home as his “endless war” strategy continues to drain dry.

A map showing a stricken vessel is ten miles from Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion clifftop palace overlooking the Black Sea Credit: East2West Vladimir Putin’s £1 billion clifftop palace fitted with high-tech secret bunkers Credit: East2West

The blazing ship was spotted just ten miles from his doorstep – well within eyesight of the dictator’s terrace.

Details of the “inferno vessel” are being kept under wraps by tight-lipped Russian officials.

But news of the blaze follows urgent alerts from monitoring groups over a fresh wave of Ukrainian aerial and marine .

In a typical show of defiance, Putin snubbed an olive branch ceasefire proposal from that was set to start at midnight.

Putin at his desk in Moscow Credit: Reuters The carnage after Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia Credit: East2West

Instead, he offered a measly two-day truce on Friday and Saturday only.

His forces then launched a brutal blitz on Kharkiv and Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rih early on Wednesday morning.

One civilian was killed in a Russian drone strike on the border region of Sumy.

Shockingly, many of these deadly attacks rained down just six hours after the “silence” regime was supposed to begin.

Russia attacked Nikopol in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region Credit: East2West Twelve people killed and dozens injured in Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia Credit: East2West

has now warned that if Russia won’t play ball with the ceasefire, could be in the crosshairs this weekend.

Ukraine could target Putin’s prized Victory Day military parade on Saturday as thousands of troops gather in the Red Square.

The boss is set to give a tub-thumping speech amid a massive security ring-fencing of the Russian capital.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha blasted the move, saying it proves Putin has zero interest in real diplomacy.

Russia also attacked Nikopol in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region Credit: East2West Emergency services respond after the Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia Credit: East2West

Sybiha said: “Putin is only concerned with military parades, not human lives.”

Defiant Kyiv chiefs warned that since Russia rejected the May 6 truce, the Ukrainian military won’t be holding back on May 9.

Russia has hit back with chilling threats of nuclear-scale strikes on Kyiv if their parade is interrupted by drones.

The latest carnage follows a savage Russian assault that killed 25 people in a single day – the bloodiest of the year so far.

Ukraine hit a Russian FSB security service command post in Dzhankoy Credit: East2West Smoke billows from a building in Zaporizhzhia Credit: East2West

But isn’t taking it lying down, reportedly smashing a Russian FSB command post in occupied Crimea with a flurry of drones.