The impact of winter weather may be more detrimental to the Armed Forces of Ukraine than to the advancing Russian occupation troops.
This was stated by the commander of the Third Assault Brigade, Colonel Andriy Biletsky, in an interview with "Ukrainian Truth".
The military explained that weather affects the mobility of both wheeled and tracked vehicles; adverse weather conditions truly reduce operational capabilities.
"As for the infantryman, since they operate in small groups and act without hesitation in a literal sense, they will move forward. Their tasks do not involve deep breakthroughs or marches of 50 km. Getting out of a hole and occupying our position 250-300 m away, okay, a kilometer, they will manage that through snow, rain, mud, and so on," – stated Andriy Biletsky.
According to the brigade commander, winter conditions can have a more negative effect on Ukrainian defenders, particularly due to a lack of personnel and insufficient training quality. The primary impact of the Ukrainian army is through drones, and any drones—be they reconnaissance, FPV, or large wings—are highly dependent on daylight, wind, fog, and precipitation.
"Therefore, I fear that the expectations that the Russians will slow down due to winter are unfounded. On the contrary, our defense may become more complicated because our main means of striking will lose effectiveness," – explained Andriy Biletsky.
As Biletsky noted, Russian infantrymen will find it harder to move; however, they will also use the weather conditions as a means of camouflage, which will not hinder their advance.
