A sinister threat of World War Three has been issued by the Kremlin if Britain, the EU and other NATO states continue to seek to protect Ukraine. The menacing ultimatum came from a close Putin aide and envoy, Kirill Dmitriev.

It came ahead of a frantic weekend of talks in Europe on Donald Trump’s peace plan with Britain, Germany and France leading a rearguard action to bolster the US peace plan guarantees of security for Kyiv and prevent a Russian land grab of the Donbas. Dmitriev posted on X: “NATO/EU/UK bureaucrats are undertaking massive efforts to undermine President Trump’s peace plan. They would rather start WW3 than have President Trump succeed with Peace.”

His comments came after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned of Putin attacking allied states in the next five years and declared that Ukraine’s security is linked to the West’s security.

And Russia appears rattled over moves by European states, including Britain, to pass frozen Russian cash totalling hundreds of billions of pounds to Ukraine.

The Kremlin threat from Dmitriev – a trusted Putin insider in talks with the US – came as Trump envoy Steve Witkoff is flying to Berlin to meet Volodomyr Zelensky, who is likely to come under more pressure to cede land to Putin in return for American security guarantees.

The real estate mogul and Trump golfing partner is also expected to meet leaders of Britain, France and Germany on Sunday or Monday, say reports.

This came as Putin subjected Odesa to a “24 hour terror attack” in a drone and missile blitzkrieg intended to cripple the vital Black Sea port region. Kinzhal – or Dagger – hypersonic missiles were unleashed at the region for the first time in three years.

Apocalyptic footage showed the Russian strikes on a region that gives Ukraine its main sea access — which Putin has vowed to disable.

Among the targets was a Turkish-owned container ship Cenk T which was seen ablaze.

This strike came on the same day Putin met Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a summit in Turkmenistan. Footage shows a low flying Shahed drone striking the vessel. Earlier reports said it was set ablaze by a missile.

Ten electrical substations were targeted in Odesa region as Putin set to turn out the lights and heating.

The latest strikes on civilian infrastructure came as it is Ukraine – not Russia – coming under strong US pressure to make concessions for peace.

Ukraine’s Mykolaiv was also targeted repeatedly by Russian drones.

In return, Ukraine savaged another major Putin oil refinery – this time in Saratov region, crucial to supplies for Russian strategic bombers. Two people were reported killed after a drone downed by air defences hit a residential tower.

A Russian chemical plant producing ammonia, nitric acid and other substances used in the production of explosives and ammunition was also targeted in Voronezh region, according to reports.