(NewsNation) — It has been nearly 10 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, and while there is still no end to the fighting in sight, Ukraine’s military says freezing temperatures are helping its soldiers in the eastern part of the country, according to multiple reports.
After weeks of neither side making significant advances in the war in Ukraine, there is a glimmer of hope for Ukrainian troops fighting to take back a pair of small cities. Ukrainians have been dealing with limited access to heat and electricity because of Russian assaults on civilian infrastructure.
Many are worried that a winter freeze could put Ukrainians in an even more precarious position as temperatures continue to drop. Still, the Ukrainian army believes, if anything, the winter weather could be a benefit to their military.
A spokesman for the army’s eastern forces, Serhiy Cherevaty, told Ukrainian television this week, “The cold weather and frozen ground will allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to increase the pace of their counteroffensive in the east of the country.” The New York Times reported that the high temperature in Luhansk on Wednesday was 23 degrees Fahrenheit.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia appears to be slowing its military activities in Ukraine for the winter to regroup and launch a new offensive when the weather warms.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense tweeted on Thursday, tagging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “To get through this winter, we need to help each other more than ever and care for each other even more. To get through the winter, we must be more resilient and more united than ever.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.