Reports from key frontline areas in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Svatovo, Bakhmut and Vuhledar, indicate that operations on both sides are currently being hampered by heavy rains and resulting heavy mud, the experts write.
Temperatures are expected to drop across Ukraine over the next week, likely to freeze the ground and quicken the pace of hostilities as both sides ramp up mobility.
Temperatures in areas of northeastern Ukraine, such as along the Svatovo-Kremennaya line, will drop to near freezing or below the daily maximum from November 28 to December 4.
It is likely that the earth will take several days in stable sub-zero temperatures to solidify. This means that ground conditions are likely to allow for an increased pace of operations across Ukraine over the weekend of December 3-4 and into the week ahead.
“It is not clear whether both sides intend to resume major offensive or counter-offensive operations at this time,” analysts conclude.
Key points from ISW
- Russian authorities continue to attempt to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.
- Russian officials may try to counter the growing influence of Wagner PMC financier Yevgeny Prigozhin by promoting other parallel Russian military structures.
- Russian forces are likely to use Kh-55 inert missiles, designed solely to carry nuclear warheads, in their campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure, highlighting the depletion of precision-guided weapons in the Russian military.
- Russian troops continued their defensive actions against the counteroffensive operations of the Ukrainian troops on the Svatovo-Kremennaya line.
- Russian troops continued offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Avdeevka directions.
- Russian troops continued to build fortifications in the east of the Kherson region.
- Russian tactical, logistical and technical failures continue to lower the morale of Russian troops and encourage them to look for scapegoats.
Recall that Armed Ukrainian forces continue to destroy Russian invading army. In the Luhansk region, the invaders suffer heavy losses, and in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian defenders repulsed 8 attacks.
It was previously reported that the Russians are trying to isolate Bakhmut and continue shelling along the entire front line. The Ukrainian Armed Forces hit them from the rear and repulsed enemy attacks.
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