KIEV: Despite evidence of "atrocities committed by the Russian military," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said discussions between Ukraine and Russia will continue,  the Ukrinform news agency reported.

"In any case, we must seek for even the small window of opportunity for the bargaining process. I believe it will be difficult to terminate the war without this "In an interview with Turkey's Haberturk television channel on Wednesday, Zelensky was reported as saying. He emphasised the importance of other countries' mediation missions in the discussions, especially Turkey's.

After the Ukrainian army retook control of Bucha from the Russian troops, at least 280 people, including children, were found dead. Bucha is located 28 kilometres northwest of Kiev.

The death of civilians in Bucha was previously described by Zelensky as a "war crime." 

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry rejected Kiev's claim that civilians were killed in the Bucha hamlet in Ukraine's Kiev region.  "All images and video materials provided by the Kiev government, purportedly showing some form of 'crimes' perpetrated by Russian military soldiers in the city of Bucha, Kiev region, are another provocation," the Ministry said.

It added that "no single local resident suffered any violent actions throughout the time the settlement was under Russian control," and that "all Russian units entirely withdrew from Bucha on March 30."

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