Mad Vladimir Putin brands Ukrainians ‘extreme gangsters’ — as his army slaughter women and children

MAD Vlad Putin branded Ukrainians “extreme gangsters” yesterday — while his army continued to slaughter women and children. His hypocritical rant came as a dad wept on his teenage son’s body in Mariupol. APA father weeps over the dead body of his teenage son[/caption] ReutersVladimir Putin branded Ukrainians ‘extreme gangsters’ yesterday — as his army continued to slaughter women and children in Ukraine[/caption] ReutersThe residential area of Borodyanka near Kyiv is destroyed after Russian tanks blasted into a supermarket[/caption] Western leaders fear Putin is out of control and shut off from even his closest aides — many of whom are against his invasion. Putin used a rambling TV address to accuse the Kyiv government of being the aggressor and using human shields. He vowed to fight “to the end” regardless. The deluded despot claimed his attack had been “a success”.  He said the Ukrainians had been brainwashed and the Russian army were the real heroes. Putin insisted his plans were on schedule, despite the Ukrainian army claiming to have killed 9,000 troops in eight days. And he tried to blame more than 2,000 civilian casualties on “neo-Nazis” holding people hostage. Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates Most read in The Sun 'SPARE US' Emmerdale fans LIVID as 'worst couple in soap history' get engaged SPENCER'S GRIEF My brother died on Everest, I want to bring him home, says Spencer Matthews DEATH PROBE Russian tycoon found hanged in garage of mansion days after Ukraine invasion CHAR-LEAVING DE MELO Charlie De Melo quits Corrie after five years playing Imran Habeeb BED BABE Danniella Westbrook poses for sultry shoot on her bed after face transformation SAVE IT Martin Lewis urges prepayment meter customers to stockpile energy before bills rise He ranted: “Now on Ukrainian territory, our soldiers and officers are fighting for Russia, for a peaceful life for the citizens of Donbas, for the denazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine, so we can’t be threatened by an anti-Russia right on our borders the West has been creating for years.”  Peace talks ended in stalemate again. France’s President Macron spoke to Moscow directly and warned Russia had no plans to back down and Putin is hell-bent on taking all of Ukraine. Macron’s spokesman added: “President Putin expressed his very great determination to continue the offensive, the aim of which is to take control of the whole country. “Putin said the army operation was developing according to the plan and that it would ‘get worse if the Ukrainians do not accept surrender terms’.” Former Labour Foreign Secretary David Owen claimed Putin has gone mad due to a side-effect of illness or medication. Lord Owen said: “He is in very serious trouble.  “He is a changed man, he is acting out of character. He is very aloof.  “He obviously feared getting Covid. I think his immunity has compromised something.  “Either corticosteroids given for some other ailment, or he is on steroids for lifting weights that bring out aggression.” It was claimed Putin even hid the full scale of his invasion plans from his most senior ministers. The Agentstvo media outlet reported Kremlin figures were aware that Putin planned to recognise separatist regions in eastern Ukraine but had not prepared for the scale of western sanctions. A source told Agentstvo: “This is f***** up. They are out of their minds!” APParamedics move a shelling victim onto a stretcher in Mariupol[/caption] AFPUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still addressing the nation from Kyiv[/caption] RexKherson has fallen to the Russian invaders[/caption] All you need to know about Russia's invasion of Ukraine Everything you need to know about Russia's invasion of Ukraine... Why is Russia invading Ukraine? Will the UK go to war? How can I join the Ukraine foreign legion? What can I do to help Ukraine? Who is Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy? How much gas does the UK get from Russia? Is Russia a part of Nato? Does Russia have nuclear weapons? Why is Ukraine not in Nato? How big is the Russian army? What is Article 5 of the Nato treaty? What is the Minsk agreement? Which countries were in the Soviet Union? We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? Email us at exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4104. You can WhatsApp us on 07423 720 250. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Click here to get The Sun newspaper delivered for FREE for the next six weeks.