The Russian onslaught employed 400 drones.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, left, chat during their meeting in London (Photo by Frank Augstein-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

During a visit to the UK today, Sir Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Frie…

US President Donald Trump defended the 50-day deadline he gave to Russia to agree to a ceasefire deal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised US President Donald Trump for airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Donald Trump’s remark that he and Vladimir Putin are like ‘two young children fighting like crazy’.

It comes days after Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spiderweb ambush’.

‘Putin cannot be seen to look weak’.

It’s a major turning point.

‘I don’t know what’s wrong with him?’

Vladimir Putin has made a rare visit to the front lines amid a deadly drone attack on a Ukrainian military training camp.

Devastating missile and drone strikes in the Sumy region of Ukraine have killed at least six Ukrainian soldiers carrying out training exercises, with ‘more than 10 wounded’.

Despite stop-start ceasefire talks brokered by the US, Putin has unleashed several attacks on both civilian and military targets, killing nine people in a strike on a bus and targeting several residential buildings and warehouses.

Ukraine also struck Russia overnight in the most intense strikes since the most recent call between Putin and US President Donald Trump, hitting a semiconductor factory and an ammunition warehouse.

There are concerns that the decision to hold military training exercises less than 30miles from the Russian border may have enabled the pinpoint strike.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko blamed ‘those who decided to conduct military training practically on the front line’ for the strike, adding: ‘People are no longer valued at all.

‘From orders to remain surrounded by training grounds next to the enemy.

‘This is not the first or second time something like this has happened.

‘So far, no one has been held accountable. This is bull****. There are no other words.’

The Russian Defence Ministry claims up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, including 20 instructors, an ammunition depot and equipment were ‘destroyed’ in the attack.

The Ukrainian National Guard said: ‘An official investigation into the tragedy is underway.

‘The commander of the unit has been suspended, and the necessary information has been passed to law enforcement agencies.’

Meanwhile across the border in Kursk region, Putin paid a visit close to the war zone to speak to locals and regional officials.

He also visited the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant-2, which is currently under construction, in the secret visit which wasn’t disclosed until he had already left.

Putin drank tea with locals and said: ‘It’s been a while that I wanted to visit [Kursk region], to talk about your work, to thank you for it, to learn how it’s organised in more detail, and ask questions natural in such circumstances: what needs to be done additionally to help and support you?’

Trump has not ruled out new sanctions against Russia, but is yet to impose them after Putin refused to agree to an immediate ceasefire.

‘It will be my decision, no one else’s, we’ll see what Russia does, how it behaves,’ he said.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said: ‘The main problem is that Russia wants something it doesn’t have now and has no right to, and Ukraine wants something it can’t get back by military means. That’s the crux of the problem.’

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Britain for imposing new sanctions on Russia, saying ‘only coercion will work’ and adding: ‘Today there is a British sanction decision, there is also an EU decision, and it would be good if the United States also helped.

‘European partners are already preparing the next steps in this extremely important pressure on Russia to end the war.’

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This is a mock-up and not an actual line-up, believe it or not (Picture: Getty/Metro)

When Prime Minister Keir Starmer met his long-serving Albanian counterpart Edi Rama today, there was plenty of substance to discuss.

Tackling illegal mi…

‘Have you seen these men?’

Missing posters would not go amiss in Istanbul where delegations from Ukraine, Russia and America are gathering today for negotiations to end the war.

Two chairs remain empty as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump chose to opt out of the diplomatic stage.

Volodymyr Zelensky challenged his Russian counterpart to negotiate in-person – but the chances were slim.

It is a stark reminder of his continued distancing from meaningful talksand the deadlock that shows no sign of loosening.

Ukraine’s president will meet Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but he made it clear that he will not negotiate with anyone except the Russian leader.

Meanwhile, the man who promised to end the full-scale invasion within 24 hours in the White House is also skipping Istanbul.

Trump’s excuse is his ongoing Middle East tour. In Qatar, the Republican was questioned by the media about Putin’s no-show.

In response, he said: ‘Why would he go if I am not going? I did not think it was possible for Putin to go if I’ am not there.’

The US president said he could still travel to Turkey tomorrow if progress is made today.

‘If something happened, I would go on Friday if it was appropriate,’ Trump promised.

This means his absence – or presence, likely to collect accolades – could be used to interpret which way the scale is tipping.

‘We can help the world psychologically. So we think we are going to do well with Russia-Ukraine,’ he had said earlier.

Trump said a day earlier that he would go to Turkey for the talks if Putin did show up.

There are fears the negotiations will again fall through if both leaders are not present.

Instead, Putin is sending a more junior delegation, a calculated move that Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna described as a ‘slap in the face’.

Zelensky also it looks ‘more like a sham level’, adding: ‘We will think about what we will do and what our next steps will be after talking with president Erdogan.

‘We must understand what level the Russian delegation is and what their mandate is, whether they are able to make something themselves, as weall know who in Russia makes the decisions.’

Finnish minister of foreign affairs, Elina Valtonen, who is arriving at a Nato meeting in Antalya, said: ‘When it is about peace, a ceasefire, and how to end the war, we have one chair empty, which is the chair of Vladimir Putin.’

She added: ‘I guess that the world has realised there is only one party not willing to engage in serious peace negotiations and that certainly is Russia.’

Ukraine has declared ‘time and again’ its willingness for a 30-day ceasefire and to end a war ‘it didn’t start in the first place’ but ‘Russia is not available’, she continued.

Details about when and where the Ukrainian delegation might meet their Russian counterparts are still unclear.

It is expected to be clarified after Zelensky and Erdogan meet, according to a Ukrainian official who requested anonymity to speak openly about the plan.

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Zelenskyy’s insists Russia implement a ceasefire beforehand.

Zelenskyy’s insists Russia implement a ceasefire beforehand.

Ukraine and the US signed a minerals deal after months of tense negotiations.

May 9 is celebrated as Victory Day in Russia, marking the Soviet Union’s role in the defeat of the Nazi regime.

It was one of the most striking images from the Pope’s funeral – but it nearly looked quite different.

Vladimir Putin skipped Pope Francis’s funeral – and launched attacks on Ukraine during it.

A meeting between the pair, who last spoke in late February, caught attention after tensions boiled over.

A moment of history is unfolding in the Vatican City as an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics are preparing to bid farewell to Pope Francis during his final journey today.

For the first time in more than a decade, the world will watch the funeral of a pontiff – not one who resigned, but one who died in office – and crucially, one who broke Catholic convention by accepting LGBTQ+ couple.

It is one of the most significant moments in recent Catholic history – and one that will be remembered for generations to come.

Metro is on the ground in the heart of the Vatican, so follow along with us from St Peter’s Square.

What is the mood in the Vatican?

As clouds clear above the cobblestones of St Peter’s Square, the gates are overwhelmed with the crowds of mourners pouring from all directions.

Some are clutching rosaries, small flags and pictures of Francis, but most are armed with cameras and selfie sticks.

It is a well-oiled security operation by now – despite all the logistics. Official entry points, luggage scanners, checks every few metres. The perimetre is locked down and thousands of officers from Swiss Guards, Carabinieri andvarious branches of the Italian military are ensuring the safety.

For now, everyone’s eyes are peeled on the gates of St Peter’s Basilica from where Francis will begin his final journey. The weight of what is to come in the next few hours is hanging in the air.

Outside its walls, hundreds of thousands of people are lining the streets in the Italian capital to say goodbye to the pontiff and the number is expected to rise closer to the funeral.

For those still hoping to get to a vantage spot in St Peter’s Square, there is a level of anxiety.

Many have travelled from afar, so there is an additional layer of pressure to make the most of this historic moment.

What are the funeral plans? Schedule and route to burial site

The official ceremony will begin with the pope’s coffin being taken out of St Peter’s Basilica and into the square.

The funeral Mass is due to start at 10 am (9am BST) with a choir singing introductory rites in Latin.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will deliver the homily and lead the Mass, which is expected to be con-celebrated by 220 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests near the altar, and more than 4,000 other priests con-celebrating in the square.

Francis will then be buried according to his wishes in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, outside the Vatican.

The last pontiff to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, who died in 1903.

The funeral cortege will travel to the basilica at walking pace, for around three hours.

Crowds are expected to gather along the route, which is 3.4 miles long and will pass by many of Rome’s famed monuments, including the Colosseum.

A group of poor people will be present on the steps leading to Mary Major to pay their final respects to Francis, reflecting his devotion to serving the poor and oppressed during his reign.

The burial will be a private service, but visitors to the tomb will be allowed shortly afterwards. The tomb will be inscribed only with the Latin name for Francis, Franciscus.

Who is attending the event?

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony in the vast square.

So far, at least 100 foreign delegations are among them, including some 50 heads of state.

Francis’ funeral will be something of a ‘spot the world leader’ game – but it is only a testament to the pope’s legacy and his reach beyond the Catholic Church.

Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump will soon arrive for the start of the procession after flying in last night.

Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William will represent the Royal Family in Rome, not King Charles.

Their presence is just one reason why security measures across Rome and especially inside the Vatican is tighter than ever.

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This is not the first time Trump has parroted Kremlin talking points, nor is it the first time he has deployed poor diplomacy. 

‘There is nothing to talk about,’ the Ukrainian leader said earlier.

Zelensky accused Putin of making a mockery of his own ‘truce’.

The truce will last until April 21.

The truce will last until April 21.