FIERCE Ukrainian troops are storming Russia's frontline using British tanks and "Tsunami" squads as their counteroffensive gathers pace.
Ukrainian generals claim they have smashed through Putin's first line of defences in the south – and now expect rapid gains as they attack the weaker "second line" of defence.
Volodymyr Zelensky's forces raised the country's blue and yellow flag over the village of Robotyne last week – some 35 miles from the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine appears to be turning the tide against Putin's invaders as troops claw back territory after 18 months of raging war.
In the south, Ukraine's forces have pushed forward near the towns of Novodanylivka and Novoprokopivka – and also captured one square mile near Bakhmut.
Deputy Defence Minister Ganna Malyar said: "The enemy is on the defensive in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson sectors."
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Panicked Putin has responded to Ukraine's advances by sending elite troops from other parts of his frontline to bolster Russia's struggling defences in the area.
The Institute for the Study of War said the deployment "suggests an increasing Russian concern about the stability of Russian defences".
Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, one of Ukraine's top generals in the south, told The Guardian: "We are now between the first and second defensive lines."
He added: "In the centre of the offensive, we are now completing the destruction of enemy units that provide cover for the retreat of Russian troops behind their second defensive line."
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Tarnavskiy said Putin's forces "just stood and waited for the Ukrainian army".
"The enemy is pulling up reserves, not only from Ukraine but also from Russia," he said.
"But sooner or later, the Russians will run out of all the best soldiers.
"This will give us an impetus to attack more and faster. Everything is ahead of us."
The advances come after weeks of mine clearance operations from the Ukrainian side.
According to the general, Putin's army has lost its advantage now that the minefield has been breached.
White House spokesman John Kirby admitted Ukraine had "achieved some success against that second line".
Under Tarnavskiy's watch, Ukrainian troops liberated the southern city of Kherson last year.
He said that when Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, it "spent more time than we expected on demining territories".
"Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. And this also complicated our advance," he said.
"Now we have to concentrate on certain areas and finish the job. No matter how hard it is for all of us."
Elsewhere, Ukraine launched a string of bold new attacks to blow up Putin's prized £3billion bridge link to annexed Crimea.
Moscow claimed three semi-submersible kamikaze marine drones were intercepted and destroyed while headed towards Vlad's favourite bridge.
And a major Russian missile factory went up in flames after Ukraine launched another brutal kamikaze drone bombardment.
When asked if Ukraine was finally at a turning point in the war, Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister, told the BBC: "Yes, it's true.
"Little by little, I think we're gaining momentum."
Kyiv launched a massive counteroffensive against Moscow's forces in June after stockpiling Western weapons and building up assault battalions.
Although Ukrainian troops have struggled to make headway against heavily fortified Russian positions, their fortune appears to be changing.
Some analysts have described so-called "Tsunami" squads of soldiers storming Russian positions near Bakhmut.
And highly sophisticated missiles, drones, tanks, ammunition and defence systems are now a regular feature on the battlefield.
They easily trounce Russia's outdated tactics, rusty weaponry and untrained conscripts on land, sea and air.
NATO allies have been pooling resources to give Ukraine a leg up against Putin's forces, sending an array of high-tech Western weapons that may prove pivotal in the war.
British Storm Shadow missiles have proved a huge headache for Putin, as they can blast targets up to 350 miles away that have long been out of reach for Ukraine.
And the use of US-supplied HIMARS missile systems has also proved a huge help to Zelensky's forces on the frontline.
When Ukrainian troops aren't blasting missiles into the skies, they are rolling into battle in style – as well as under a cloak of diesel.
The sophisticated 75-ton Challenger 2 tanks outstrip their Soviet-era Russian rust bucket equivalent the T-55 on speed, armament, firepower and precision.
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Despite costing £5million each, they have been a priceless addition to Ukraine's war chest.
Britain sent a squadron of 14 Challenger 2's to the front line ahead of Ukraine’s summer counter-offensive.
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