Thick fog changes the fighting situation on the Ukrainian frontline

(CLO) Thick fog and bad weather in the conflict areas between Russia and Ukraine are creating both risks and opportunities for both sides.

According to DeepState, a source monitoring the Ukrainian battlefield, Russian forces took advantage of poor visibility to build a pontoon bridge across the Vovcha River in southern Ukraine. At least 10 vehicles crossed and spread out towards the village of Dachne. A Ukrainian soldier, Stanislav Buniatov, said on Telegram: “The fog is very thick and the enemy is still concentrating their forces.”

In Donetsk, fog hampered both sides, especially in the town of Pokrovsk, a flashpoint for months of fighting. One Ukrainian soldier described movement as “a game of backgammon”, with drones barely able to operate.

Military analyst David Axe said the weather had allowed a Ukrainian assault regiment to carry out raids into Russian-controlled areas around Pokrovsk.

A car burns after being hit by a Russian drone in the frontline town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine on November 12. Photo: Armed Forces of Ukraine

On social network X, Ukrainian drone operator Yevhen Strokan also said clashes were taking place “in the most unexpected places, especially after fog”.

However, Ukraine’s drone surveillance has been severely hampered. Analyst Michael Kofman, who recently returned from Ukraine, wrote that “fog, wind, and rain are significantly reducing drone activity, allowing Russia to penetrate defensive positions.”

In his article, Axe assessed that poor weather and “gaps in overhead surveillance” increased chaos on the front, which could aid Russia, which is seeking to expand its control of new territory, but also create opportunities for Ukraine to conduct raids or rescue besieged units.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on November 15 that its troops had captured the village of Yablukove and two nearby villages in Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine confirmed that Russia had intensified shelling in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk areas, with nearly 40 clashes in 24 hours.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi warned that the situation in the south had deteriorated significantly as Russia “used its superiority in numbers and resources” to seize three villages.

Russian forces are now about 90 km from the city of Zaporizhzhia and just 10 km from the town of Huliaipole, which Moscow has long sought to control. The local military authorities said 34 civilians had been evacuated on November 14: “There is danger everywhere, but people are risking their lives to help with the evacuation,” the statement said.

Source: https://congluan.vn/suong-mu-day-dac-thay-doi-cuc-dien-giao-tranh-tren-tien-tuyen-ukraine-10318002.html