Talks to resume as Russian strikes widen in western Ukraine

Elderly residents cross a destroyed bridge while fleeing Irpin, outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Besieged Ukrainians are holding onto hope that renewed diplomatic talks with Russia might open the way for more civilians to evacuate, a day after Moscow escalated its offensive by shelling areas perilously close to the Polish border.

Russian missiles pounded a military base in western Ukraine on Sunday, killing 35 people in an attack on a facility that served as a crucial hub for cooperation between Ukraine and the Nato countries supporting its defence.