Putin shows no sign of agreeing to ceasefire with rare visit to the frontline

Posted by. Posted onMay 21, 2025 Comments0
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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.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Kursk-II nuclear power plant under construction, in the Kursk Region, Russia, in this still image taken from video released May 21, 2025. Kremlin.ru/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. WATERMARK FROM SOURCE.
Putin visited the Kursk-2 nuclear power plant (Picture: via REUTERS)

‘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.’

METRO GRAPHICS Kursk Map 2105
The current state of play in the Kursk region (Picture: Metro Graphics)

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.

AnatolijUkraine on Twitter / X Exilenova+ @?Exilenova_plus Last night, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out a strike on the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant (JSC ?BZPP?) in the Oryol region ? a key component of Russia?s military-industrial complex. The main area of activity of the Joint Stock Company ?Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant? (JSC ?BZPP?) is the development and production of electronic equipment for radio-electronic systems. BZPP manufactures microchips, semiconductors, indicators, microassemblies, and ?eternal batteries? for radio-electronic equipment. The plant?s products are used in communication, control, electronic warfare systems, and simulators for tanks and missile systems. It collaborates with the ?Sozvezdie? concern and other defense industry entities. The plant is under international sanctions but continues active operations: up to 3 million devices are produced annually, and around 700 employees work there.
Ukrainian drone strikes hit a semiconductor factory in Russia (Picture: @Exilenova_plus)

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.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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