UKRAINE unleashed a barrage of strikes hitting a key Russian naval depot after Vladimir Putin snubbed Volodymyr Zelensky’s call for face-to-face peace talks.
Kyiv blitzed Russia’s Baltic Fleet HQ – near Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg – after the Kremlin dictator opened Russia‘s flagship economic forum.
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Ukraine blitzed a key Russian naval depot near St. Petersburg
Vladimir Putin has said there is ‘no point’ holding face-to-face peace talks Credit: Getty
Drone strikes have increased in recent months as US-led efforts to bring an end to the five-year war have stalled amid the Middle East conflict.
The 73-year-old tyrant accused his counterpart of “rudeness” for alluding to his old age in the open letter calling for in person negotiations.
Zelensky had also warned Putin that he risks facing a coup if he fails to stop the war due to rising dissent within the Kremlin.
But mad Vlad bluntly refused to talk, saying there is “no point” and issuing a Stalin-style rallying call to his troops currently losing ground in the conflict.
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Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded more pressure be applied to Russia Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
A major inferno takes hold of a Ust-Labinsk oil depot in Krasnodar region. Credit: East2West
Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, once dubbed “Russia’s Davos”, he said: “We should not address the author of this letter [Zelensky]….but rather our soldiers on the contact line.
“The whole country is watching you; the whole country is proud of you and hoping for you. Work, brothers!”
He added: “Military actions will end some day, we assume. Without a doubt, they will end once we have achieved the goals we have set for ourselves.”
But Russia was instead the target of a fresh wave of Ukrainian strikes.
Black smoke billows from a Russian depot after a drone strike Credit: East2West
The aftermath of the attack on the Russian naval depot at Kronstadt could be seen from miles away
The latest attacks show that Kyiv increasingly has its tails up as they grow more confident of taking the war to their aggressors.
A massive blaze took hold of the vast naval ammunition depot at 81263 military unit at the 7082nd Technical Mine and Torpedo Base following a direct hit.
St. Petersburg was ordered to lockdown after a major Category 1 alert activated “hazardous” explosives.
“I ask St Petersburg residents to stay in their homes and not go outside,” demanded governor Alexander Beglov.
“There may be disruptions to mobile internet. Information about the elimination of the air threat will be provided later.”
It was not immediately clear if Putin was still in the war-hit city after his Friday speech at the forum, but the dictator has access to bunkers in the city.
The attacks have made a mockery of his claim to be winning the conflict, with Ukraine hitting key port city of Kronstadt for the second time in three days.
The site headquarters the Russian Baltic Fleet and unconfirmed reports said that submarines had been struck.
The V. A. Fock Institute of Physics in Petrodvorets was also hit by an exploding drone.
Overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said its air defence downed a total of 376 Ukrainian drones in multiple areas of the country, including Moscow.
In recent days, Ukraine has destroyed seven ships from Putin’s navy, FSB security service, and shadow fleet of sanctions-busting vessels.
Ukraine meanwhile said overnight it downed 249 of 272 drones sent by Russia as at least three people were killed.
Zelensky’s plea to Putin to hold talks to end the war was seen as aimed more at figures in his circle growing tired of the conflict than the implacable dictator.
Intelligence suggests powerbrokers close to Putin could soon pressure him to engage in negotiations to freeze the conflict.
Zelensky said of Putin’s refusal to talk: “Unfortunately, the Russian side is again choosing war – everyone heard today’s response.
“A weak response. He just doesn’t want to end the war.
“I think many in the world were disappointed by this response.
“He doesn’t want to change anything and doesn’t want to admit that his war is only pleasing to him and those who are making money from it – they were all very [much] smiling today.
“So, there should be less money in Russia and more pressure on [them].”
Putin also addressed Russia’s increasingly strained finances at the SPIEF.
He acknowledged that rising prices, tax hikes and two-decade-high borrowing costs are hitting many citizens hard.
“We, of course, hear criticism from all sides that everything has collapsed,” Putin said.
“We have descended to the same level at which eurozone countries have been living through for the past few years,” the Russian leader said, adding that Russia was pursuing a “sovereign” economy.
