MAD Vladimir Putin’s forces have killed more civilians including two children in a new barbaric strike on a city centre.

The heinous attack came a mere few hours before French President Macron is to meet with the US’s top diplomat on crafting a ceasefire to finally end the bloody war.

The savage Shaded drone terror attack on Dnipro was in defiance of Trump administration’s calls to halt the bloodshed and seek a breakthrough peace deal.

The death toll was put at three, including a child, a girl, 16, and an “elderly woman”, as ten huge explosions rocked the city within a mere 20 minutes.

Some 30 were wounded including five children – one aged just nine months.

The terrifying strike on Dnipro was described as “real hell”, with strikes close to the city hall.

It comes as top Ukrainian officials are to meet in Paris today for crunch talks with EU and US delegations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in the French capital as President Trump’s push for a ceasefire has yet to prosper – despite his pressing pledges to end the war.

Meanwhile pal to Trump Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is hoped to relieve the recently frosty US-Europe relationship as she heads to Washington DC to meet the President.

Her right-wing background has placed her in a position of privilege with the Republican, demonstrated through her receiving an invitation to attend his inauguration unlike other European leaders.

But this also means Meloni could visit the White House and focus predominantly on striking deals for Italy rather than the continent as a whole.

WAR RAGES ON

As the bloody war rages on, Vlad has refused to let up on his attacks as he continues to refuse to accept a ceasefire.

Putin’s forces staged a major attack on Kherson on Wednesday which killed at least one.

The head of the Kherson city military administration, Roman Mrochko, dramatically came under fire while making a statement about the city being attacked.

This came after the US issued its most stern warning yet about the peace process.

US state department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said: “There will be no negotiations, no decisions, no agreements until this carnage stops.”

She added that the continuing slaughter of civilians only raises questions over who is truly committed to peace.

It comes as Trump’s top advisers are set to travel to Paris on Wednesday for talks with Europe over Ukraine and its future, the US state department said today. 

US special envoys Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff will remain in France until Friday as they look to “stop the bloodshed”, according to a statement.

The meeting comes only days after Trump publicly blasted Volodymyr Zelensky for “allowing” Russia’s invasion.

Can there be peace?

BY Lydia Doye

EARLIER this year it seemed hopeful that world leaders would broker a peace deal in Ukraine.

But these hopes are wavering as Putin has repeatedly refused to cooperate, instead choosing to ramp up attacks on Ukraine.

Putin’s latest recruitment drive could have huge ramifications for peace with Donald Trump already voicing serious concerns over Putin’s readiness to agree to a ceasefire in recent days.

Putin has already angered the US President over refusing to commit to any truce agreement.

Trump previously admitted he was “p***ed off” with the Russian tyrant after he called for Zelensky’s removal from office in an effort to stall peace.

In Europe Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have put forward an idea to help maintain a future truce deal by sending their troops to patrol.

But this proposal has been widely condemned by Putin and his Kremlin pals sparking further Russia-European tensions.

Trump told reporters: “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”

Putin is also set to discuss Ukraine when he welcomes Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in Moscow this week.

Macron has taken the lead in seeking to forge a coordinated European response to defending Ukraine, during both the current conflict and in its eventual aftermath.

Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said he and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov were in Paris to meet France, Germany, Britain and the United States.

A French diplomatic source had said earlier Rubio and France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot would discuss “the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear file”.

This will be Rubio’s third trip to Europe since taking office.

Witkoff said on Monday, just days after his third meeting with Putin, that he himself sees a peace deal “emerging”.

The Paris talks come after discussions between the United States and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear program were held Saturday in Oman.

And in the latest development, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Russia this week ahead of a planned second round of talks.

Despite a series of diplomatic efforts, Russia’s strikes that have recently killed dozens of people show how the war is taking a hefty toll.