Hired guns dying for Vlad

Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has lost tens of thousands of its fighters — possibly up to half of its 50,000-strong force — during months of bloody battles to capture the key Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, according to analysts.

The Institute for the Study of War think tank reported in its latest update on the war that, according to Western officials, the Wagner Group has likely lost a “substantial” amount of manpower, which is expected to hobble Moscow’s offensive in the eastern region.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley reported Wednesday that the Wagner Group has around 6,000 professional personnel and 20,000 to 30,000 recruits, mostly convicts, fighting in the Bakhmut area (right).

In December, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby put the size of Wagner’s force at 50,000 fighters.

The mercenaries have spent months trying to take Bakhmut.