Kyiv apartment block shelled, but 'hard' Ukraine peace talks go ahead

Ukraine says Monday talks 'hard' after weekend progress; Russia, China deny Moscow sought military aid from Beijing

Ukraine said it had begun "hard" talks on a ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees with Russia on Monday, despite the fatal shelling of a residential building in Kyiv.

Both sides suggested at the weekend some results could be in sight after earlier rounds have primarily focused on ceasefires to get aid to towns and cities under siege by Russian forces and evacuate civilians; those truces have frequently failed.

Firefighters tackled the remains of a blaze at the damaged apartment block in the capital, where a stunned young resident described the chaos of the previous night in a city targeted