Russia today made a shock new bid to derail peace talks on the war with Ukraine by demanding Volodymyr Zelensky is stripped of power pending elections. Ukraine should instead be run by a UN-led government, according to Vladimir Putin’s hardline deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Galuzin.

The minister admitted that Russia was now taking a “tougher position” in negotiations, claiming it was linked to an alleged Ukrainian bid to attack Putin’s Valdai palace in December. Western intelligence and Ukraine strongly deny that any such attack was mounted, labelling it a fake claim by the Putin regime, and an excuse to stymy peace talks. Galuzin preempted Geneva talks this week by calling for “external governance in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN”. He said Russia “is ready to discuss with the United States, European and other countries the possibility of introducing temporary external governance in Kyiv”. Galuzin claimed such a move was needed to stop “election manipulations” by Zelensky.

Galuzin said Putin was ready to hold a ceasefire for one day to cover polling in Ukraine.

Zelensky has said an election would only be possible with a two-month ceasefire.

The Russian top diplomat said a new government was needed in Kyiv “with which it would be possible to sign a full-fledged peace treaty and legitimate documents on future interstate cooperation”.

The Galuzin demands appear to be the latest cynical Russian bid to delay peace talks and a deal to end the war.

Russia again savagely attacked Odesa overnight, hitting railway infrastructure and oil facilities during a massive drone attack.

Ukraine struck Putin’s favourite Black Sea resort, Sochi, in one of the most intense strikes of the war in the Krasnodar region.

“This is one of the most prolonged and massive attacks of the Kyiv regime on our city,” said mayor Anatoly Pakhomov.

The exact targets hit by Ukraine remained unclear early today.