Nuclear strike could become more appealing for Putin as options shrink

Two allies of the Russian president have openly criticised his war machine's top brass and pundits on state TV are expressing concerns. Could this open a Pandora's box for the Kremlin which triggers a slow unravelling? Moscow correspondent @DiMagnaySky More losses for Russia in Ukraine, this time around Kherson. Ukraine's long-telegraphed Kherson counter-offensive is making some headway along the western banks of the Dnipro river, between the villages of Zolota Balka and Dudchany around 100km north of the port city. Ukraine makes biggest breakthrough in the south - live updates Russia's ministry of defence admitted on Monday that the Ukrainians had broken through Russian lines at Zolota Balka and Oleksandrivka, but that the Russians had taken up pre-prepared defensive positions and were continuing to inflict "massive fire on the enemy". Just four days after Russia declared all this territory theirs, it doesn't look good for them. And Russian losses are appearing in the public domain, i