Explosion at Russian weapons plant kills five ahead of Trump-Putin summit

A major explosion struck a Russian weapons and ammunition plant - killing and injuring dozens of workers - ahead of a crucial summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Dramatic images caught the moment a huge explosion went off in the gunpowder workshop at the Elastik plant in Ryazan. Initial reports said five people were killed, 20 injured and more than 100 people were evacuated from the burning plant. Local Russian news outlets reported the whole warehouse was completely destroyed after the huge explosion. It is unclear whether the plant was hit in a deliberate attack, a Ukrainian drone strike or an accident at the site.

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A witness at the location, in the western Russian city, said: "The warehouse exploded and the missiles flew all around." The Ryazan Incidents Telegram channel said: "Victims were sent to the district hospital. All emergency services are working at the scene."

Local Governor Pavel Malkov rushed to the scene of the incident. The explosion came just hours before Putin and Trump are set to meet for crucial talks in Alaska.

The world leaders could make history as they discuss the Russian dictators illegal invasion of Ukraine, without Volodymyr Zelensky with them. Although Trump spoke to European leaders on the phone ahead of the summit, fears have circled about the President's approach to leave Ukraine out of the talks and meet a dictator who has been iced out of the international community.

Trump has painted a mixed message about his potential success ahead of awaited summit. The President yesterday told Fox Radio that there is a "25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting".

The President previously said he would end the war in the first 24 hours of his second term as president, but the Republican does not even look likely to secure a ceasefire today. Trump then suggested there could be a second meeting with Putin and Zelensky could be invited.

Trump said: "We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself and maybe we'll bring some of the European leaders."

Putin launched a major offensive on Ukraine's eastern front just days before today's meeting. This sudden Russian ground assault came as Zelensky warned the Kremlin was preparing "movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations".

Ukraine’s military deployed elite troops from its National Guard The 1st Azov Corps to plug defences at Pokrovsk, in Donetsk, where Russia is concentrating its attack, earlier this week. Zelensky warned that Putin was "definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war".

Ukraine's leader added: "Putin is determined only to present a meeting with America as his personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before, applying the same pressure on Ukraine as before."