Installed Kherson leader slams Russia defence chief

STORY: In Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, rescuers picked apart rubble on Thursday after missiles rained down in the early hours.

13-year-old Vladislav said he managed to cover himself with a blanket as shattered glass hit him.

Ukrainian officials said at least seven people died.

Zaporizhzhia – in an area which Russia says it has annexed – has been hit by shelling for which Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other.

But after seven months of war, Russian forces have suffered a series of recent set backs.

On Thursday, that prompted a rare rebuke to Moscow’s top leadership, from a loyalist in a Russian-occupied area.

Russian-installed deputy head of annexed Kherson, Kirill Stremousov publicly said defense minister Sergei Shoigu should shoot himself due to the shame of defeats.

He said “generals and ministers” were failing to understand problems on the front lines.

Such a public insult to Russian’s military officials is rare.

Kyiv says its forces are swiftly recapturing territory in the south.

President Vladimir Putin has previously said he was "not bluffing" over his willingness to resort nuclear weapons.

U.S. President Biden said on Thursday that the nuclear threat was as severe as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday said Moscow was “fully committed” to avoiding nuclear war.

“We have repeatedly said and reiterated this: there can be no winners in such a war. It must never be waged.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of “nuclear blackmail” over Europe’s largest nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Wednesday, to take full control of it.

Russia captured the power plant in March, but Ukrainian staff have continued to operate it.