Vladimir Putin smashes Ukraine with brutal strikes hours after ceasefire deal talks | World | News

Russia launched a blitz of lethal missile and drone strikes across Ukraine hours after Kyiv signalled its willingness to implement a 30-day ceasefire. The brutal bombardments cast doubt on whether Vladimir Putin is truly interested in suing for peace after just over three years of fighting that have left hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians dead or injured.

In another blow for Kyiv, Ukrainian troops appeared to be on the retreat in Kursk following a major Russian breakthrough in Sudzha. Russia‘s army targeted Volodymyr Zelensky‘s home town of Kryvyi Rih with a double missile strike that left a 47-year-old woman dead.

Last week at least three people were killed and 31 injured in the city after a Russian missile slammed into a hotel.

Odesa was also on the receiving end of a ferocious barrage, which resulted in a Barbados-flagged cargo vessel being damaged.

The ship was loading 30,000 tons of wheat destined for Africa at the time. Four people are reported to have died, with several others injured.

Among the dead sailors were three Syrians and one Ukrainian, with a fifth crew member and a port employee injured.

Reports say one missile caused major damage to the pier, the terminal’s grain store, and other infrastructure.

In Dnipro, 10 houses were hit, blasting out windows in a school and kindergarten, after which one man was hospitalised.

Kharkiv in Ukraine‘s northeast came under attack by a swarm of Shahed drones, while Sumy also was targeted. Video image shows a warehouse ablaze following the strike.

Russian troops are reported to have retaken the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region, as Putin’s army continues to take territory from Kyiv’s beleaguered forces.

Video footage appeared to show Russian paratroopers raising the white, blue and red tricolour in the central square of the town.

The pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Mash wrote: “Our fighters with flags on Sovetskaya Square Sudzha, near the administration building in the town centre.

“The [Ukrainian] soldiers have almost completely abandoned it, retreating towards Sumy Oblast.

“According to our data, the city has been cleared by 80-90%.

“The Ukrainian Armed Forces have only [kept their hold on] the suburbs of Goncharovka and Zaoleshenka.”