Ukraine: Zelenskyy says peace talks with Russia are now 'more realistic'

Over the past day, 28,893 civilians were able to flee the fighting through nine humanitarian corridors, although the Russians refused to allow aid into Mariupol

Firefighters extinguish flames outside an apartment house after a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, Ukraine. Picture: AP Photo/Pavel Dorogoy

Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow’s stepped up bombardment of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol.

The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came as Russia’s invasion neared the three-week mark and the number of Ukrainians who have left the country eclipsed three million.