High-level talks between Russia and Ukraine fail

KYIV: Russia and Ukraine failed to make a breakthrough on Thursday in their first top-level talks since Moscow’s invasion two weeks ago, amid international outrage over the bombing of a children’s hospital that Kyiv said killed three people, including a young girl.

An official of the Ukrainian parliament, meanwhile, said at least 71 children have been killed and more than 100 wounded in Ukraine since Russia launched the war.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said there was “no progress” even on a 24-hour ceasefire, after talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Turkey, although the latter said Moscow would keep talking.

Russian forces on Thur­sday rolled their armoured vehicles up to the northeastern edge of Kyiv, a team of journalists saw, edging closer in their attempts to encircle the Ukrainian capital.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said half the population had fled, adding: “Kyiv has been transformed into a fortress. Every street, every building, every checkpoint has been fortified.”

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The UN estimates more than 2.3 million refugees have left Ukraine since the start of the invasion, which prompted unprecedented Western sanctions against Moscow along with a cultural and sporting boycott.

At least 35,000 civilians were evacuated from the cities of Sumy, Enerhodar and areas around Kyiv on Wednesday, President Volo­dy­myr Zelensky said, with three more routes set to open up, including out of the southern port city of Mariupol.

The children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol was attacked on Wednesday in what Zelensky described as a Russian “war crime”, and which sparked global outrage. Local officials said on Thur­sday that at least three people were killed in the attack, including a young girl.