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Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian cities early Tuesday ahead of another planned round of diplomatic talks between the two sides.
Before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across Kyiv. Homes and residential buildings in the capital city were damaged and set ablaze in the latest round of attacks.
A US official had told The Associated Press that Russian troops are still about 9 miles from the center of Kyiv.
A day earlier, Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed when the Russians struck an airplane factory in Kyiv.
The Antonov factory is Ukraine’s largest aircraft plant and produces many of the world’s biggest cargo planes.
Russian artillery fire on Monday also hit a nine-story apartment building in the northern Obolonskyi district of Kyiv, killing two more people, authorities said.
The two sides also negotiated Monday for several hours without a breakthrough, but some optimism has been expressed.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators planned to meet again Tuesday and they would discuss “peace, cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees.”
The U.N. has recorded at least 596 civilian deaths since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, though it believes the true toll is much higher. Millions more have fled their homes.
With Post wires
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