Ukraine’s Winter Could Turn Against Russian Troops; Ukrainian Armed Forces Destroy Headquarters and Warehouse of Wagner Group Mercenaries; General Staff: Ukraine Repels Russian Attacks Near 16 Settlements; Factbox: Ukr’s Military Supplies: What Ground Vehicles are Kyiv’s Allies Sending? LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Jan 22, 2023

WSJ: Ukraine’s Winter Could Turn Against Russian Troops

With Western-supplied uniforms and ‘trench candles,’ Ukrainian soldiers seek a cold-weather advantage

In the battle to keep warm, Ukrainian infantryman Kyrylo Molchanov has turned to “trench candles”—empty food cans packed with cardboard—to heat his front-line dugout.

With Russia and Ukraine fighting through the winter, keeping Ukrainian soldiers warm could become a competitive advantage for Kyiv.

For armies, winter weather affects everything from maneuverability to battery power. But the cold and wet can have a crushing effect on soldiers’ morale and ability to fight, while creating potential medical problems.

The U.S. and its allies have sent hundreds of thousands of pieces of winter clothing. Ukraine has supplemented those supplies from elsewhere, and the various items in Lt. Molchanov’s uniform come from several countries.

Some Russian soldiers seem to be arriving for battle less well kitted out, hindered in part by a hasty mobilization drive in the fall.

Ukraine’s armed forces are adapting, cutting wood from local forests, sourcing smaller barracks and using the trench candles, which volunteers and family send packed tight with rolls of cardboard.

“If you light it an hour or two before going to bed, it heats up more than you would expect,” Lt. Molchanov said from Ukraine’s southern front line.

Ukraine’s winter has so far been mild, but temperatures can frequently drop to below minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mild or not, winter affects fighting in many ways. As leaves fall, it is harder to conceal equipment. Fog, rain and snow make identifying targets more difficult. Cold degrades battery life faster, affecting drones and radios. Mud makes movement problematic, but when the ground freezes, digging trenches and minefields is harder. Soldiers burn more calories in the cold, so need more food.

But one of the biggest problems is that wet and cold weather can affect morale and performance. —>READ MORE HERE

Gunners of Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy headquarters and warehouse of Wagner Group mercenaries:

In Soledar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian gunners have revealed and destroyed the headquarters and a warehouse of the Wagner Group mercenaries.

Source: Video of the 45th Separate Artillery Brigade

Quote: “The headquarters and field warehouse of the Wagner mercenaries in Soledar were destroyed.”

Details: The date when this effective operation of the artillery took place is not specified, no other details are given. The video also shows how the mercenaries’ ammunition is probably exploding.