The first winter of war in Ukraine has come.

The first snow fell in some parts of the country weeks ago.

However, just in time for the start of winter on the calendar day, temperatures have dropped so much during the day that they hardly ever climb above freezing in important sections of the front.

The mud, omnipresent in autumn, freezes, rain turns into ice and snow.

Peter Carstens

Political correspondent in Berlin

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Lorenz Hemicker

Editor in Politics

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Due to the constant Russian rocket attacks on critical infrastructure, the civilian population is already feeling that the winter will be difficult.

People are killed, the electricity and water supply are regularly cut off.

However, the effects of the cold season on the fighting at the front are still largely unknown.

Some experts are suggesting a ceasefire, others are calling for the fighting to continue.

The New York Times wrote in mid-November that a "period of stasis" was about to begin.

Both sides would have to regenerate their military.

The newspaper quotes US Chief of Staff Mark A. Milley as saying a lull in fighting would be a good time for talks.

A suggestion that was promptly rejected in Kyiv and caused considerable discussion among Western experts.

For example, Ben Hodges, former commander of US land forces in Europe, says Ukraine should continue fighting.

At this week's Berlin Security Conference (BSC), he said a lull would be more likely to help the Russian side regenerate its weakened and partially demoralized forces.

Supplies, especially ammunition, good winter clothes and shoes, good warm-up and recovery facilities, supervisors who look after young soldiers - all of these can make a difference.

Hodges doesn't think much of the thesis that Russian soldiers can traditionally be expected to do anything.

That may have applied to the defense of Leningrad and Stalingrad in World War II, which are now called Saint Petersburg and Volgograd again, but not to the Ukraine war.

Warm and dry clothing is particularly important

In any case, it is indisputable that forces fighting ice and snow always demand a lot.

To be able to endure even in their positions, troops need warm and dry clothing as well as places where they can warm up.

In addition, there is largely no natural cover from vegetation.

It is therefore much more difficult for infantrymen to move unobtrusively in the terrain.

The cold also places higher demands on war equipment. Fuel consumption increases significantly, and depending on the weapon system, so does wear.

The supply demand is thus increasing, while at the same time the supply speed is decreasing, given more difficult weather conditions on roads and rails.

Add to that the shorter days, which further reduce combat opportunities.

Despite these limitations, other Western experts do not expect the fronts to become frozen.

In one of its situation assessments last weekend, the American Institute for War Studies wrote that the speed of operations is more likely to increase again as soon as the temperatures allow the ground to freeze.

Vehicles could then move more easily again.