Ukraine makes ‘biggest breakthrough’ on Southern front in latest blow to Putin days after he declared the region Russian

UKRAINIAN forces have achieved their biggest breakthrough on the southern front since the war began following advancements on a key Kremlin controlled region. Troops have reportedly made rapid progress along the Dnipro River on Monday, encircling thousands of Russian troops. A destroyed tank in the in the eastern city of Izium showcases the damage inflicted on Russian vehiclesGetty 23 tanks have been destroyed and another 26 armoured vehicles have been wiped out in the latest offensiveGetty Ukrainian flag waves in a residential area heavily damaged in the village of Dolyna in Donetsk OblastGetty APNewly mobilised Russian troops, picture above, have been pushed back by Ukrainian forces[/caption] Kyiv gave no official confirmation of the gains, but Russian sources acknowledged that a Ukrainian tank offensive had advanced dozens of miles along the river’s west bank, recapturing a number of villages along the way. Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence claimed the milestone advancement after a further 500 Russian troops had been eliminated – taking the total to over 60,000. Images from the eastern city of Izium showed the damage inflicted as a further 23 tanks were destroyed and another 26 armoured vehicles wiped out in the latest offensive. The breakthrough mirrors recent Ukrainian successes in the east that have turned the tide in the war against Russia, even as Moscow has tried to raise the stakes by annexing territory, ordering mobilisation and threatening nuclear retaliation. Read more on Ukraine MAD VLAD Putin demands 'ceasefire' but won't 'negotiate' with annexed regions HITTING BACK 5 devastating ways West could strike Putin if Russia uses nuke in Ukraine It is though that Ukrainians currently occupy territory just 20 miles from Kherson – one of the four regions to be annexed – as they seek to push on. “The information is tense, let’s put it that way, because, yes there were indeed breakthroughs,” Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed leader in occupied parts pf Kherson province told Russian state television. “There’s a settlement called Dudchany, right along the Dnipro River, and right there, in that region, there was a breakthrough. There are settlements that are occupied by Ukrainian forces,” he said. Dudchany is around 25 miles south of where the front stood just a day earlier, indicating one of the fastest advances of the war and by far the most rapid in the south. Most read in News WET AND WILD 'Danger to life' weather warnings with heavy rain and fierce winds OLIVIA 'MURDER' Man, 34, in court charged with murder of Olivia, 9, shot dead at home TRUSS 'U-TURN' Truss prepares to ditch scrapping 45p tax rate in climbdown after backlash READY TO LAUNCH Death convoy of Putin's elite nuke warriors on the move 'in signal to West' 'HEART OF A LION' Promising teen boxer dies in holiday tragedy days before 15th birthday ZEALOT Eco-warrior ARRESTED after pouring poo on Cpt Tom memorial - as dad left 'ashamed' It is believed that Russian forces had been dug into heavily reinforced positions along a mainly static front line since the early weeks of the invasion, but have gained vital territory in the latest push. Stanford’s Francis Fukuyama, an expert in military and international policy, exclaimed on Twitter that “A much bigger Russian collapse will unfold in the coming days.” The advance in the south mirrors the tactics that have brought Kyiv major gains since the start of September in eastern Ukraine, where its forces swiftly seized territory to gain control of Russian supply lines, cutting off larger Russian forces and forcing them to retreat. Meanwhile, in the south, Ukraine’s advance is thought to have targets supply lines for thousands of Russian troops – perhaps as many as 25,000 – where it sent a large contingent to halt a counter-attack Ukraine announced there in August. Ukraine has already destroyed the main bridges across the Dnipro, forcing Russian forces to use makeshift crossings. A substantial advance along the river could bring those remaining crossings into artillery range. “The fact we have broken through the front means that … the Russian army has already lost the ability to attack, and today or tomorrow it could lose the ability to defend,” said Oleh Zhdanov, a military analyst based in Kyiv. “A month of our work destroying their supplies and reducing the combat effectiveness of this group means that they are functioning on minimal rations in terms of ammunition, fuel and food.” INTERNAL CONFLICT The latest advancements comes just days after Vladimir Putin was upstaged as he hosted a concert on Moscow’s Red Square on Friday to proclaim the provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to be Russian territory forever. Merely hours later, Ukraine recaptured Lyman, the main Russian bastion in the north of Donetsk province. Despite parroted media by the Russian state, the gains have reportedly opened the way for Ukrainian forces to advance deep into Luhansk province, threatening the main supply routes to territory Moscow captured in some of the war’s bloodiest battles in June and July. Amid the latest reports of Ukraine’s battlefield advances, chaos has continued to ensue back in Russia over the mobilisation, which Putin ordered 10 days ago. Tens of thousands of Russian men have been called up, while tens of thousands of others, including young men, have fled to escape being called up to fight in the bloody war.   Some have even resorted to self-inflicting horrific injuries as confidence in the war effort dwindles by the day.   The internal conflict in Russia has reportedly signalled a turn in the tide for “cancer stricken” Putin who was today described as “desperate” by intelligence experts watching on. Read More on The Sun WORST NOEL I'm so skint I'll buy my Xmas presents from Poundland…I go without electricity CHANGE OF MIND Major change to childcare rules set to save money for parents David Petraeus, who served as Director of the CIA under Barack Obama, told ABC: “It can still get worse for Putin and for Russia. “And even the use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield won’t change this at all.” East2WestVladimir Putin has cut a ‘desperate’ figure in recent days[/caption] The tyrant announced the annexation of four regions on FridayGetty APProtests have continued across Russia against an increased mobilisation[/caption] AFPTroops bearing the Z symbol have been deployed across the country[/caption]