A Ukrainian soldier stands in front of tanks of the 92nd separate mechanized brigade near Klugino-Bashkirivka village, in the Kharkiv region, in January 2022.
SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine is looking for ways to use winter to its advantage.It aims to cut off Russian supply chains and “freeze them out” of Ukraine, a spokesman said.Winter conditions typically slow fighting, but Ukraine said “rain and frost” may help its efforts.
Ukraine’s aim for the winter months is to cut off Russian military supply chains and “freeze them out” of the country, Volodymyr Fito, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ground Forces, said.
“Ukraine’s main task will be to cut off Russian occupation forces’ supply chains and logistics, both on the front and behind the frontlines,” Fito said, according to Ukrainian news outlet Pravda.
“If we manage to do it, I think the weather — rain and frost — will help us freeze them out [of Ukraine],” he added.
Winter conditions are expected to slow down the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces, as is typical in war.
Last winter saw a grinding, attritional battle between the two countries, months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, with no major breakthroughs or territory changes.
Rain, frost, snow, and cold can make actions like moving tanks and laying mines more difficult.
But last winter showed key strategic actions can still take place: Russia used the winter to lay its vast network of defenses and landmine fields, turning Ukraine into the world’s most heavily mined country and frustrating Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which started in June.
Ukraine has vowed to keep up its counteroffensive efforts through winter, and an expert said Ukraine can still use the time to inflict serious damage on Russian forces, if it can stretch those forces thin.
“The winter once again poses an opportunity to maximize Russian losses,” Jack Watling, a senior research fellow for land warfare at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank, said.
Fito said fighting will slow down: “The weather will play its part in military operations. If it starts raining, fewer aircraft and attack drones will be deployed.”
“It will also be more difficult for military vehicles and equipment to move,” he added.
But he said artillery will continue to be used as much as it is now.
Ukraine and its allies have warned that Russia looks set to continue the tactic it adopted last winter; notably targeting Ukraine’s power and water infrastructure with missiles.
That tactic killed many people and led to Ukraine setting up heating points for its citizens.
The UK Ministry of Defence said last month that Russia appeared to be stockpiling cruise missiles to use against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure over the winter months.