Russian defence minister should SHOOT himself dead, Putin ally rages as Ukrainian blitz crushes humiliated invaders

PUTIN'S furious puppets have urged Russia's defence minister to kill himself after the Ukrainian counterblitz crushed humiliated troops.

General Sergei Shoigu has come under fire after experiencing a series of defeats on the battlefield and displaying a sluggish strategy.

Russian soldiers have been throwing down their weapons and fleeing in the face of Ukraine's counteroffensive, abandoning swathes of territory they had earlier seized.

And the extraordinary losses have not gone unnoticed by furious Kremlin officials.

President Zelensky's men have made significant gains in the port city of Kherson - the only provincial capital captured since February 24 that is still under Russian control.

Russian troops were ordered to retreat and "regroup to gather their strength", despite Putin announcing it as independent just last week.

The despot signed executive orders recognising Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as independent states, paving the way to annex them.

He appointed Kirill Stremousov as head of the so-called Kherson People's Republic, who has used his new platform to slam General Shoigu's failures.

It mark's a significant breakdown between officials as the puppet leader berated one of Putin's closest allies.

In a video shared on social media, Stremousov fumed: "A lot of people say that the defence minister, as an officer who let that happen, could shoot himself.

"But you know what, the word ‘officer’ is not familiar for some people."

The character assassination of the military chief suggests Putin's goons are crumbling under the pressure of Ukraine's successes.

Stremousov said Kherson was not up for grabs in the four-minute clip, insisting its defence was "under lock and key".

But in wake of several embarrassing retreats, he turned the attention to military top brass, describing them as 'useless and corrupt generals and looters."

The explosive commentary from a Kremlin insider has left the West questioning the solidarity between Putin's men as the invasion falters.

General Shoigu has already faced blame for his outdated tactics, poor planning and haphazard organisation since the war in Ukraine began.

The losses of key battles in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lyman and in the Kherson region have only amplified criticism of the military chief.

He has been condemned for sending miserable mobilised soldiers to the frontline with only rusted guns and 60-year-old tanks.

WAVING WHITE FLAGS

And the Russian military was mocked for sending tinpot troops - who are ageing, unfit and untrained - to the frontline.

Stremousov spoke as Ukraine announced their military had taken back almost 3000km2 of land from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late Wednesday address that Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka to the northeast of Kherson city had been "liberated".

Remarkable footage emerged showing Ukrainian defenders spectacularly dodging a barrage of Russian shelling as they charged across fields to Kherson in cars.

According to British military intelligence, they have managed to push Russia back by 12 miles in the south.

Meanwhile, other footage from the frontline shows Russian soldiers surrendering with a white flag flying from their tank on the Kherson front.

It comes after a US official revealed Ukraine could retake Crimea - annexed by Russia in 2014 - if it continues to recapture territory at this pace.

The next move for Kyiv's forces is a potentially three pronged offensive towards the south, the paper reports.

The source told the : "The recapture of Crimea by Ukraine is now a distinct possibility and can no longer be discounted.

"It is clear that Russia no longer has the ability or willpower to defend key positions, and if the Ukrainians succeed in their goal of recapturing Kherson, then there is a very real possibility that it will ultimately be able to recapture Crimea."