Russia batters Ukraine; both sides say ready for more talks

Kyiv: Russia renewed its assault on Wednesday on Ukraine's second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe. The escalation of attacks on crowded cities followed an initial round of talks between outgunned Ukraine and nuclear power Russia on Monday that resulted in only a promise to meet again.

It was not clear when new talks might take place — or what they would yield. Ukraine's leader earlier said Russia must stop bombing before another meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has decried Russia's bombardment as a blatant terror campaign, while US President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that if the Russian leader didn't "pay a price" for the invasion, the aggression wouldn't stop with one country. The bombardment continued Wednesday.