Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that his conversation with Donald Trump at the Vatican last weekend ‘may have been the best we have ever had’.

‘I am confident that after our meeting in the Vatican, President Trump began to look at things a little differently,’ Zelensky told a small group of journalists, including AFP, on Friday in remarks embargoed till Saturday. ‘We’ll see. That’s his vision, his choice in any case.’

The two world leaders met face-to-face for the first time in two months at Pope Francis‘ funeral, following a disastrous meeting in the White House in February – in which Zelensky was unceremoniously booted out of the seat of American power.

Washington and Kyiv have also signed a new minerals deal that will see the US invest in Ukraine’s rare earth and other deposits as it seeks to reduce military aid to the war-torn country. 

Ukraine overnight staged its heaviest strikes on Russia in months, reportedly deploying British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and kamikaze air and sea drones.

Among numerous targets by Ukraine overnight a renewed ‘attack on Putin’s £3billion Crimean Bridge’. Storm Shadows were reportedly used against Russian naval and commercial port Novorossiysk.

Zelensky has dismissed a three-day truce ordered by Russian leader Vladimir Putin coinciding with Moscow‘s World War II commemorations, but said Kyiv was ready for a full ceasefire.

He added that Ukraine won’t be ‘playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on 9 May’ when some international leaders are expected in Moscow.

Massive explosions were reported across the Krasnodar region – where Vladimir Putin has several palaces – as well as Rostov region and the occupied Crimea peninsula overnight.

Russia claimed it shot down 170 drones, 14 unmanned attack boats, eight Storm Shadows, and three Ukrainian Neptune-MD guided missiles.

It was not immediately clear how many British missiles struck targets, but it is the first time they have been reported as being used by Ukraine since Trump’s January inauguration.

Among the targets – with thunderous explosions – was key Russian Black Sea port Novorossiysk, where shot down drone debris hit residential tower blocks wounding civilians including children.

Russian sources claimed Novorossiysk was attacked by Storm Shadow missiles, which – while British-supplied – needed specific US approval to use against Putin’s territory.

‘For the first time since January, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a strike with British Storm Shadow missiles on internationally recognised territory of Russia, on Novorossiysk,’ said Sergei Markov, director of Russia’s Institute of Political Studies.

‘The Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot target these missiles themselves – they need a satellite constellation, which only the United States has.

‘This apparently means that after signing the Mineral Deal with Ukraine, Trump ordered the US Army to again use the satellite constellation to target Ukrainian missiles on Russian territory.

‘This means that the US [military] is again participating in the war against Russia.

‘After coming to power, Trump ordered the US Army not to participate in strikes on Russian territory itself, so that there would be no escalation to a nuclear war.

‘And now Trump has returned to [Joe] Biden’s policy.’

Novorossiysk was also attacked by Ukrainian unmanned boats which launched FPV drones, with one Russian helicopter reportedly shot down, and the crew rescued.

The city’s public transport was crippled after the bombardment.

Taman and Kerch, which is close to the 12-mile Crimean Bridge, built by Putin and opened in 2018, were also hit. 

The bridge – a key supply route to Crimea – was closed for several hours amid the attack. Struck, too, in the blitzkrieg were Slavyansk-na-Kubani and popular Russian resort Anapa.

Russia claimed it downed 96 drones over Crimea, but did not reveal how many hit targets.

The punishing Ukrainian strikes came as evidence grew that Vladimir Putin has no intention of engaging with the month-long ceasefire demanded by the US and Ukraine.

US officials were drawing up new sanctions against Putin, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump ‘must soon decide how much more time the US will devote to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine‘.

The sides remained ‘far apart’, he said.

The fresh sanctions were awaiting Trump’s approval.

Despite this, Putin – branded a ‘monster’ by Zelensky – continued his relentless assaults on Ukrainian civilians last night, striking second city Kharkiv, where 44 people were injured, including one 11-year-old child.

‘There were no military targets and there could not be,’ said Zelensky. ‘Russia is striking residential areas precisely when Ukrainians are at home, when they are putting their children to bed.

‘Only monsters can give such orders and carry them out. While the world is slow to make decisions, almost every night in Ukraine turns into horror, because of which lives are lost.

‘Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence.

‘We need strong and real decisions from our partners: the United States, Europe, all our partners who strive for peace. Only force and sanctions will make Russia stop.’

Zelensky defended his fresh strikes against Russia. 

He said: ‘Russia continues to refuse a full, long-term ceasefire – all partners are tired of these Russian manipulations.

‘We are defending our positions, we will act accordingly both at the front and in our actions on Russian territory.

‘The war must be felt where it came from.’

The new US sanctions – if Trump approves – would target Russia’s energy and banking sectors, including Gazprom and key financial institutions.

The package could include secondary sanctions on exports to India and China aimed at stopping Russia’s funding of the war.

Zelensky has also refused to guarantee safety of foreign guests – including China’s President Xi Jinping – attending Russia’s major commemoration of Adolf Hitler’s defeat 80 years ago.

Putin has said he will call a unilateral ceasefire for three days covering the 9 May military parade in Moscow. 

But Ukraine has said a ceasefire only makes sense if it lasts 30 days and leads to a bid to hold peace talks and end the war.

Putin has rejected a longer ceasefire – but has multiple foreign leaders attending the Red Square commemorations.

Zelensky said: ‘We behave decently with China and with states that have not supported Ukraine since the beginning of the war, but are somewhere in between or sometimes more inclined towards the Russians because of historical ties.

‘But nevertheless, this is not the first time that we have been approached by other countries that they are travelling to Russia and would like to be safe at that moment.

‘There is such diplomacy, such a format of diplomacy.’

But Zelensky insisted: ‘Our position is very simple towards all countries that have travelled or are travelling to Russia on May 9 – we cannot take responsibility for what is happening on the territory of the Russian Federation.

‘They provide you with security and therefore we will not give you any guarantees. Because we do not know what Russia will do on these dates.

‘It may take various steps on its part, let’s say, arson, explosions, and so on. And then blame us. Ukraine is definitely not responsible for what is happening in Russia today. This is a fact.’

Later it emerged that Russia had lost Su-30 multi-role in today’s intense battles around the Black Sea – shot down by a R-73 anti-aircraft guided missile from a maritime drone, according to reports.

The crew of two was reportedly rescued after ejecting.

Russia was today accused of using strike drones with thermobaric warheads, creating a powerful blast wave and a high-temperature cloud, causing large-scale destruction and numerous casualties among the civilian population.

‘Its use is particularly dangerous and may indicate a deliberate violation of international humanitarian law,’ said the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

A total of 51 were wounded, including two children.

Ukrainian GUR military intelligence showed a video of its ‘world first’ strike from a Magura sea drone on a £38million Russian Su-30 multi-role fighter near Novorossiysk over the Black Sea.

Russian sources – admitting the downing – said the unmanned boat was armed with a R-73 anti-aircraft guided missile.

‘This is the first destruction of a combat aircraft by a sea drone in the world,’ said the GUR. 

‘The historic strike was carried out by soldiers of the GUR special unit of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Group 13 with a missile from an unmanned sea platform Magura.

‘The multi-purpose fighter of the aggressor state Russia, whose estimated cost is about $50million [USD], burst into flames in the air and eventually fell into the sea ….

‘The successful strike on the enemy combat aircraft took place in the water area near the port in the city of Novorossiysk, where Muscovites hide the remains of their Black Sea Fleet.’

On December 31 last year a Magura V5 missile sea drone downed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters, another world first.

The Su-30’s two crew members were believed to have been rescued by a cargo vessel.

Zelensky last week pushed Trump to take a harder line with Putin during their historic conversation at St. Peter’s Basilica. 

According to Axios, Zelensky told Trump that Putin would not be moved on his position on the invasion of Ukraine until he was forced to. 

A source told the outlet that Trump admitted he might have to change his approach to dealing with Putin. 

Hours later, Trump criticised Putin in a Truth Social post for attacking Kyiv with a missile strike, writing: ‘It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!’ 

Zelensky also asked Trump to return to his original position on an unconditional ceasefire as a foundation for peace talks, which a source said Trump appeared to agree to. 

The Ukrainian leader wasn’t the only one to make demands of the other, with Axios reporting that the firebrand Republican pushed Zelensky to sign the US-Ukraine minerals deal as soon as possible. 

Trump gave the details behind the iconic photo of the two world leaders during a NewsNation town hall Wednesday night moderated by Chris Cuomo, Stephen A. Smith and Bill O’Reilly. 

With a newly-signed deal for U.S. access to Ukraine’s natural resources in his back pocket, Trump gave a glimpse into his deal-making discussion with Zelensky. 

‘I was telling him that it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger,’ Trump said.

He claimed that the Russians are ‘just chugging forward’ and called them ‘a big, strong country’ though ‘not nearly as strong as the United States.’

O’Reilly then wanted to know if he felt the new deal with Ukraine would prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from advancing further into the country. 

‘It could, but the reason I did that is because we’re in for $350billion,’ he said, citing the massive amounts of military aid given to the Ukrainians by Joe Biden.

Trump signaled that the deal was a chance for the United States to get its investments back from a costly military campaign. 

‘They have great rare earth, meaning certain materials, minerals, it’s a big asset they have,’ he said. He added that the minerals the U.S. gets access to could be worth more than the military aid.

‘I didn’t want to be out there and look foolish. This is not my war, it’s Biden’s warn. I want to stop this.’