VLADIMIR Putin unleashed a large-scale attack of kamikaze drones on Ukraine shortly after oddly suggesting direct peace negotiations “without preconditions”.

This assault dashed any chances for a truce, occurring right after the Kremlin leader ignored a 30-day ceasefire demand from Western leaders, which threatened severe new sanctions if not adhered to.

Explosions rocked Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk and Mykolaiv in the early hours as Putin’s Shahed drones hammered civilian targets and military sites.

The attack happened soon after a 1 a.m. Moscow press conference where Putin emphatically dismissed a month-long ceasefire yet claimed that Russia was prepared to restart direct peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday.

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 news 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, Mad Vlad 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 24-hour ultimatum to agree to a 30-day ceasefire by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland, who gathered in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

They warned that without a full stop to hostilities, Russia would be hit with tougher sanctions – including on its oil exports and banks – and the West would ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine.

Sir Keir Starmer, 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 Ukraine would be “armed to the teeth” if Putin refuses to comply.

French president Emmanuel Macron 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 Donald Trump 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 Russia and Ukraine! 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, despite his bombs still falling on Ukraine.

“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 drag out the war 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, Moscow 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 VE Day 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****!”