Ukraine news latest — Nato warns Putin has launched bloody new Russian offensive as civilian casualties near ‘40,000’

Putin’s brutal new offensive in Ukraine has already begun, warned Nato, as civilian casualties near “40,000.” Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned Putin is sending “thousands and thousands of more troops” and accepting a “high rate” of casualties as he desperately attempts to gain land in Ukraine. Speaking ahead of a meeting in Brussels today, Stoltenberg said: “I think the reality [is] that we’re seeing the start already. “Because we’re seeing Russia is… sending thousands and thousands of more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty, taking big losses, but putting pressure on the Ukrainians.” This comes as civilian casualties in Ukraine continue to soar, with the Guardian reporting deaths across the country are between 30,000 and 40,000. Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…