Ukrainian long-range drones have reportedly struck an industrial plant deep inside Russia, approximately 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the border, while Kyiv’s forces continue to fight an intense battle to repel a Russian advance on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk.

By Vladimir Soldatkin MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his top officials to draft proposals for a possible test of nuclear weapons, something Moscow has not done since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Ukrainian troops should surrender to save themselves in Pokrovsk, a transport and supply hub seen as a gateway to bigger nearby cities.