First major Ukrainian city falls as Russian attacks continue

Russian forces have seized control of the key southern port city of Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city to be taken since the start of the invasion.

It came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an overnight video address, called on Ukrainians to keep up the resistance.

He said Ukraine's defence lines are holding up but says there has been no let-up in Russia's shelling of cities since midnight.

Kherson's mayor, Igor Kolykhayev, has told Reuters that Russian troops were in the streets and had forced their way into the city council building.

Peace talks continue on Thursday

An aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that the Ukrainians were expected to arrive in Belarus to resume talks on Thursday.

"As far as I understand, the Ukrainian delegation has already left Kyiv and is currently in transit," Vladimir Medinsky told reporters in the Belarusian city of Brest.

The coastal city of Mariupol encircled

Britain's Defence Ministry said Mariupol, a large port city further east from Kherson on the Azov Sea, was encircled by Russian forces.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said the attacks there had been relentless.

Explosion at Kyiv train station

Russia's 64-kilometre-long convoy of tanks and other vehicles remained outside the capital.

An explosion hit near Kyiv's central train station, where thousands of women and children were being evacuated on Wednesday evening.

Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said it was caused by falling wreckage from a Russian missile shot down by Ukrainian air defence in an online post.