President Zelensky restates his red lines and demands Putin doesn't keep an inch of his land after Kremlin issued '15-point peace plan' that involved Kyiv giving up Crimea and Donbass region

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Volodymyr Zelensky has slapped down Russia's 15-point peace plan by insisting Ukraine's priorities include 'restoring territorial integrity'.

The Kremlin had drafted a proposed agreement with a list of 15 demands which insisted that Ukraine recognise the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Donbass.

But Zelensky has seemingly rejected the proposals, despite Ukrainian cities continuing to be pummelled by Russian forces, with Mariupol's theatre targeted in Putin's latest savage attack.

In a video shared on Telegram, Zelensky said: 'The talks on Ukraine continue. My priorities at the talks are crystal clear: end of the war, security guarantees, sovereignty, restoring territorial integrity, real guarantees for our country, real protection of our country.' 

Volodymyr Zelensky has slapped down Russia's 15-point peace plan by insisting Ukraine's priorities include 'restoring territorial integrity'

The Kremlin had drafted a proposed agreement with a list of 15 demands which insisted that Ukraine recognise the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Donbass

Earlier, sources on both sides had signalled that progress had been made in talks that would secure a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

The provisions in the 15-point plan would mean Kyiv would agree to neutrality and accept limits on its military to stop the barbaric attacks against its civilians by Putin's forces.

It would also see Zelensky renounce his NATO ambitions and promise not to host Western military bases or weaponry in exchange for protection.

Sources briefed on the talks told the Financial Times that another provision includes enshrining rights for the Russian language in Ukraine.

But the biggest sticking point was Russia's insistence that Ukraine recognises the annexation of Crimea and the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk. 

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire broke out at the Saltivka construction market, hit by six rounds of Russian heavy artillery in Kharkiv

Zelensky has seemingly rejected the proposals, despite Ukrainian cities continuing to be pummelled by Russian forces

Putin insists that the whole of the Donbass should split from Ukraine, and not just the parts occupied by pro-Moscow rebel forces before fighting broke out. 

Zelensky's comments that Ukraine's priorities include restoring Ukraine's territory suggest the two sides are some way off finalising an agreement.

The wartime leader again accused Putin of war crimes in his latest video address.

He said: 'Ukraine received powerful support of our American friends. I'm thankful to President Biden for it. I'm thankful for leadership that united the democratic world. 

'But the war doesn't stop. Russian war crimes don't stop. The Russian economy is still capable to feed their military machine.'  

Appealing for more international support, Zelensky then detailed the destruction in the crucial port city of Mariupol which has been under heavy bombardment for weeks.

He said: 'In besieged Mariupol, Russian aviation deliberately dropped a heavy bomb on a Drama Theatre in the city centre. Hundreds of people were hiding there from shelling. The building is destroyed. The number of victims is unknown yet. My heart is broken because of what Russia does with our people.

Russian forces bombed a theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering in the encircled port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said

Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Mariupol Drama Theatre (pictured before the attack) because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those in the rubble

Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word 'children' written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the theatre building in an effort to stave off any attack by Putin's forces

'Russian forces have such losses in Ukraine that they didn't have in Syria and Chechnya, that Soviet forces didn't have in Afghanistan. 

'If your war against Ukrainian people continues, Russian mothers will lose more children than they did in the Afghan and Chechen wars combined.'

In the Mariupol theatre, hundreds of civilians, including children, were sheltering when it was attacked.

Officials said it is impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the attack on the Drama Theatre because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, meaning rescuers can't reach those in the rubble. 

Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word 'children' written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the theatre building in an apparent effort to stave off any attack by Vladimir Putin's forces. 

But two days later, Russian forces bombed the theatre where hundreds - including sick children and women - were sheltering, with Ukraine condemning the attack as a war crime.  

A volunteer of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces assists a woman to cross the street in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after she was evacuated from a burning building hit in a Russian missile strike

Three people were killed and five wounded in shelling in Kharkiv city centre on Wednesday - despite Moscow maintaining its forces are only targeting strategic military infrastructure

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire broke out at the Saltivka construction market, hit by 6 rounds of Russian heavy artillery in Kharkiv, on Wednesday

After the Russian bombing, the central part of the theatre collapsed, burying large numbers of people under rubble, Ukrainian officials said. The debris also blocked the entrance to the bomb shelter located inside the building. 

Petro Andruishchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said the theatre was the city's largest shelter 'in number and size'. 

He told CNN: 'More than a thousand people were hiding there but the probability of getting there to dismantle the rubble is low due to constant shelling and bombing of the city.' 

Authorities initially said as many as 1,200 people were sheltering in the theatre, but the figure was later reduced to 'several hundred'. Human Rights Watch said the theatre had been housing at least 500 civilians.  

Last week, footage showed scores of people - mainly women and children - sheltering inside the theatre. 'There are so many children,' a volunteer told the Times. 'All the children have a fever, I don't know what to do. Help us.' 

Russian authorities have repeatedly insisted that their forces are only targeting strategic military locations and are not waging war on the civilian population of Ukraine. 

But there have been repeated attacks on residential areas by Putin's forces, with three people killed and five wounded after Russian shelling in Kharkiv. 

Putin faced further allegations of war crimes on Wednesday after video of an attack that was later confirmed by Ukraine's prosecutor general showed at least 10 civilians gunned down while they were queueing for bread outside Chernihiv. 

Ukraine's prosecutor general confirmed in a statement the attack by Russian forces who 'fired at people standing in line for bread near a grocery store.' 

While new drone footage appeared to show Russian soldiers executing a lone Ukrainian civilian as he held his hands up to surrender on a highway west of Kyiv last week.  

Russian rocket attacks also targeted a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, killing civilians, including children, on Wednesday after earlier strikes targeted a nearby hub for displaced people. 

It is not yet known how many were killed in the shelling but an image from the scene showed a burnt out car, with a damaged door blown open. 

The strikes on civilians drew strong condemnation from the West, with US President Joe Biden for the first time describing Putin as a war criminal. 

Despite the continuing attacks, there had been suggestions of progress in negotiations. 

The 15 proposals were discussed in full for the first time on Monday, and both sides said progress had been made.

But Ukrainian officials are sceptical Putin will observe the terms of the agreement, and the Kremlin may be buying time to regroup before another offensive. 

A Ukrainian source briefed on the talks said: 'There's a likelihood this is trickery and illusion. They lie about everything — Crimea, the build-up of troops on the border, and the 'hysteria' over the invasion.

'We need to put pressure on them until they have no other choice,' they added.

But a Russian source said the proposed settlement could give both sides a way to declare a victory from the brutal war.  

Zelensky advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said any deal would include the removal of Russian troops from Ukraine captured since the invasion began. 

Ukraine also rejected a Russian plan to become 'neutral' like Sweden or Austria. 

Kyiv said any deal will need to include security guarantees underwritten by 'international partners' who would agree to come to Ukraine's defence in the event it is attacked again.

Podolyak said the international community cannot be allowed 'to stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today' should fighting restart.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that neutrality is taking centre stage with Moscow and Kyiv 'close to agreeing' the wording of an agreement. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that some parts of a possible peace deal with Ukraine were close to being agreed after Kyiv agreed to discuss neutrality

Ukraine (pictured, President Vlodymyr Zelensky) on Wednesday demanded guarantees that international forces will 'prevent attacks' in the future and rejected Russia's proposal for Kyiv to become 'neutral' like Austria or Sweden

Summing up peace talks from the Russian side, one senior official told Reuters that there is 'a small chance of a peaceful resolution,' adding: 'Something will be decided in the next three days to a week.'

Another senior Russian source said Putin is willing to consider a peace on Russia's terms and that there is a window of opportunity for some sort of deal.

But the officials spoke amid warnings from British and American intelligence that the Kremlin is also looking to move reinforcements to the frontlines in order to free up combat forces for fresh attacks.

It means that Putin, who went on state TV before the invasion to say that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country, could also be looking to press ahead with the war with the aim of uniting Ukraine and Russia under one banner. 

News of a deal inching closer came a day after Zelensky said his country must accept it will not become a member of NATO - a key Russian demand that was used to justify the Kremlin's decision to attack. 

The two sides have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at finding common ground and bringing the hostilities launched by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in late February to a halt. 

The latest bout ended late Tuesday with Kyiv pointing to 'fundamental contradictions' in the delegations' standpoints. 

Both sides had earlier raised hopes of a breakthrough, referring to agreements that were close to being put to paper and signed. 

Lavrov on Wednesday cautioned that the negotiations were not easy but that there was 'some hope of reaching a compromise'. 

Russia's negotiator Medinsky echoed the line to reporters on Wednesday that talks were 'slow and difficult' but said the Kremlin wants peace, 'as soon as possible'.

He reiterated that the core issue at the talks is a 'neutral' Ukraine, citing the status of Austria and Sweden as possible examples to follow.

It would mean Ukraine could retain its armed forces but that Kyiv would not be allowed to have any foreign bases, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. 

'A whole range of issues tied with the size of Ukraine's army is being discussed', Medinsky said, having earlier mentioned the sides are discussing an idea for a future Ukraine with a smaller, non-aligned military. 

Sweden officially is militarily non-aligned in peacetime and neutral in times of war, having ended its policy of neutrality in 1992 at the end of the Cold War. It is not a member of NATO, but it has been a partner to the alliance for nearly 30 years.

At the end of the Cold War, Sweden slashed its military spending, but began reinvesting in its defence following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. 

Meanwhile, Medinsky said that other issues were being discussed, including the status of the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, as well as territories held for years by pro-Moscow separatists. 

Lavrov on Wednesday said the list of priorities included the security of people in eastern Ukraine, the demilitarisation of Ukraine and the rights of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine.  

Ukrainian officials have also made cautious positive statements about the status of peace talks. Zelensky on Wednesday described the negotiations as 'more realistic' but warned that more time was needed for any deal to be in the interests of Ukraine. 

Zelensky made the early morning statement after his team said a peace deal that will end Russia's invasion of Ukraine will be struck with Vladimir Putin within one or two weeks because Russian forces will run out of fresh troops and supplies by then. 

Moscow's lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky (left) said his delegation was pushing for Ukraine to assume a status comparable Sweden or Austria. But Ukraine's chief negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak (right) has said he wants the country's security to be guaranteed by international forces

The apparent breakthrough has come a day after Zelensky appeared to confirm that Ukraine will not join NATO. 

Speaking on Tuesday, he said that 'we have heard for years that the doors were open, but we also heard that we could not join. It's a truth and it must be recognised.' 

Ahead of the invasion, Putin had been demanding guarantees that Ukraine would never be admitted to NATO along with the removal of all the alliance's troops and weapons from ex-Soviet countries. 

After being rebuffed by Kyiv, Washington and NATO Putin said there was no option but to launch the military operation because Russian-speaking people in Ukraine had been subjected to genocide by 'nationalists and neo-Nazis' since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. 

Russian negotiators have softened their stance a little since then, saying they want Ukraine to declare neutrality, disarm, recognise Crimea as part of Russia and recognise the whole of the Donbass as independent.