How winter weather could give Ukraine or Russia an advantage in war | JUST THE FAQS

As war drags on, winter will present difficulties for both Russia and Ukraine. Here's what the brutal weather means for the conflict.

RELATED: Has war in Ukraine hit a turning point? Here’s what we know.

Winter comes early in Ukraine, and the Kremlin knows it. As the fighting grinds on, Ukrainians are bracing for winter under historically harsh conditions. Seven months of war have taken a toll on a nation that was Europe's poorest even before Russia's military belligerence damaged or destroyed thousands of residential buildings, schools, hospitals and community buildings.

In recent weeks water systems and energy plants have been the focus of Russian missiles and exploding drones. The collapse of infrastructure has put millions of people at risk of losing access to electricity, water, even shelter, the International Rescue Committee warns. Volodmyr Omelyan, the former Ukraine infrastructure minister, estimates that 40% of the nation's energy sector has been damaged or destroyed. Russia's intent is obvious, he says – force the populace to suffer. Weaken their resolve. 

"But Ukraine is too big to fall," Omelyan told USA TODAY. "And Ukrainians understand that if we surrender we will be destroyed." So rolling blackouts have become a way of life in areas that have any power at all. And President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that Russia will do everything it can to break the resistance of Ukraine this winter – "another kind of Russian terrorist attacks, targeting energy & critical infrastructure," Zelenskyy tweeted.

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25 comments

  1. يامن قريت رسالتي 💔أسأل الله يااخي أن يعطيك أنفع الكتب، أسأل الله أن يجمعك بأبر خلق الله رسول الله، أسأل الله ان يغمرك باحلى مافي الدنيا “ ذكر الله”، اسأل الله ان يطيب
    اخرتك، اسأل الله ان يعطيك احلى مافي الجنه “رؤيته عز جلاله وملكه وعظمته.  اللهم ارزقه مغفرة بلا عذاب وجنة بلا حساب ودعاءمستجاب. اللهم أفرح برحمتك قلبا أحبه، واذهب بكرمك حزنه وهمه،،  يِآنآس يِآآمٌـٍة مٌحًمٌد يِآآخوۃآلّإسلّآمٌ
    يـٍآٍعِبـُآٍدًآٍلـٍـًلـٍـًه يـٍآٍمٌسَلـٍـًمٌيـٍنً يـٍآٍآٍَخـوآٍنًـي ويـٍآٍآٍبـُأئي ويـٍآٍآٍمٌهآٍتـَي آٍلـٍـًمٌسَلـٍـًمٌيـٍنً وآٍلـٍـًمٌسَلـٍـًمٌآٍت آٍرٍحًـمٌوآٍ مٌنً فـٍي آٍلأرٍض يـٍرٍحًـمٌكـٍمٌ مٌنً فـٍي آٍلـٍـًسَمٌآٍء آٍنًـي لـٍـًيـٍسَ لـٍـًي آٍحًـدً فـٍي هـذٍآٍ آٍلـٍـًدًنًـيـٍآٍغٌـيـٍرٍكـٍمٌ بـُعِدًآٍلـٍـًلـٍـًه (انتم سندي الوحيد بعدالله إذا مديت يدي لأطلب العون من الله ثم منكم ومااحد ساعدني ووقف جنبي منكم فلمن امد يدي وانا مامعي احد غيركم اخواني اني اقسم بالله العلي العظيم على كتاب الله انني بنت يتيمه من اليمن ومعي اخوان صغار اقسم بالله على كتاب الله ان اخوتي ماعاد يقدرو ينطقو بكلمة من شدت الجوع وصاحب البيت يريد الإجار او بيخرجناإلئ الشارع  ونحن لانملك لقمت عيش نسدبها جوعنا ارحمونا يرحمكم الرحمن اني اتجأت إلئ الله ثم إليكم فلاتردوني من عندكم  اني اسالك بالله وانشدك بمحمد رسول الله  يااخي لوانت مسلم وتحب الخير واتساعدني ولو ب500ريال يمني ان تتواصل معي اوتراسلني وتساب علئ هذا الرقم00967737356016
    وتطلب اسم بطاقتي وترسلي ولاتتاخر وايعوضك الله بكل خير فيااخي انت رجال إذاشفت اسرتك جاوعين تعمل المستحيل من اجل تامن لهم الاكل والشرب ولكن انابنت عيني بصيره ويدي قصيره ليس لي اب مثلك يسمح دمعتي ويحميني من الذل والاهانة😢  واخواني سغار شوف كيف حالتهم وساعدناوانقذناقبل أن يطردونا في الشارع نتبهدل او نموت من الجوع انااقسم بالله ألذي رفع سبع سموات بلاعمدوبسط الارض. ومهداني لااكذب عليك بحرف من هذا الرساله واني ماطلبتك إلئ من ضيق ومن قسوت. الضروف والحال الذي .
    احنافيه واناواسرتي نسالك بالله لولك مقدره علئ مساعدتنا لاتتاخر. عليناوجزاك ألله خير ألجزاء

  2. “I WAN TO LIVE!”
    The Ukrainian army needs to drop pamphlets the “Surrender Program” every step of the way by the tens of thousands and even by drones over the battlefield. This program needs to be broadcasted on every radio station across the entire area, from every country in the EU and the ones that side with EU. It must be known to every person on the face of this planet as well. The information is not as easy to find on the internet and that needs changed.

  3. A Ukrainian is sitting, reading the Gospel and crying. The priest approaches:
    — What place touched you so much, my son?
    — This is: “A herd of pigs threw themselves off a cliff into the sea and drowned.”

    1. Winer is Russia’s greatest ally of defense, young man. Ukraine is defending their country. So, winter is their ally.

    2. @Mike F. Winter is still Russia’s ally here . . . . Winter will fight Russia’a war for free

      Russia cut the energy sources of Ukraine . . . . Roads and bridges are destroyed . . . . How can ukraine survive the winter? Of course thick face zelensky is on his mansion with a nice fireplace . . . . While his people die bec of his clowning heroism

      Otoh . . . . Russia has all the oil and energy she that needed. . . .

      Eu ehem ehem

    3. @Anlock Character the Wehrmacht literally reached the suburbs of Moscow over multiple winters. The Russians won purely because of US lend lease and because they paid the blood price of 30 million Russians in repulsing the Germans.

  4. Why don’t they take a break and resume after winter? We all want peace.
    Both parties can come to dialogue and make peace.

  5. Russia Ukraine War – Winter ?

    Russian military equipment, particularly electronic equipment, is far more likely to fail or malfunction in the cold, than armaments of Western design and manufacture. The fact is that the Russians cut corners, lack know how, and use inferior components. That is in addition to the fact that Russian soldiers are very poorly equipped, and poorly trained, when it comes to winter warfare. The winter will give Ukraine military forces some significant additional advantage. In some cases, even if all else is equal, which it won’t be, pinning Russian forces down for any prolonged period of time will result in their suffering exposure, frostbite with potential loss of limbs, and possibly deaths from hypothermia. The Russian invaders in Ukraine have nothing to look forward to as to the coming of the cold weather, and absolutely everything to fear.

    1. I suggest you do a much better job researching your intel before making such a fool minded assertion. Russia has always did well fighting in the winter… an too, designs it’s military equipment, gear, armaments and etc., with it’s brutal winters in mind. And so you know, a lot of the equipment Ukraine is using is old out dated leftover post Soviet era armaments after it’s dissolve.

    2. Russia will not fight Ukraine and Europe this winter

      Winter will fight against Ukraine and Europe for Russia

      Remember . . . . Russia cut the oil supply for EU . . . . And Saudi also said they will limit their production . . . . Then Ukraine has no oil . . . . No energy bec Russia destroyed ukraine’s energy sources

      And russia is evacuating Russians from annexed land . . . . Why? Why waste time defending it if winter will kill the ukrainians that will reclaim it . . . . Also it is too hard supplying for Russians living in these annexed land . . . . Better to feed them nearer . . . .

      So winter will kill ukranians bec of the lack of energy they have . . . . But of course thick face zelensky is exempted bec he is in his mansion with a good fire place and heater while his countrymen die in cold and starvation . . . . Because of his clowning heriosm

    3. @Martin Brault 30 million Russians died in WW2, which started shortly after Nazi Germany and Russia invaded Poland together as allies. Look it up, it’s in the history books. How many Russians will it be this time, till they get the picture to go home and just leave the Ukrainians be?

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