Ukraine news latest — Russia suffers ‘30,000 casualties’ in Bakhmut as desperate Putin meets China’s Xi Jinping today

VLADIMIR Putin’s brutal forces have lost up to 30,000 soldiers in their efforts to take the city of Bakhmut, the British Ministry of Defence reports. The city in eastern Ukraine has been the centre of some of the most intense and brutal fighting in recent months, as Ukrainian soldiers desperately defend their position. Now, the British MoD has revealed the Kremlin faced between 20,000 and 30,000 losses in the town, with the vast majority being Wagner mercenaries. As a result, the bloodthirsty mercenary outfit has publically questioned Putin’s “betrayal” of them in recent weeks. This comes as the desperate dictator meets with China’s Xi Jinping today, in a bid to strengthen Russia’s ties with the superpower. Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…