Winter Challenges Set to Hit 'Already Low' Morale of Russian Troops: U.K.

The challenges that will arise as winter weather draws in will hit the "already low" morale of Russian troops, according to an assessment by the British Ministry of Defence.

In its latest assessment of Russia's war against Ukraine, the British defense ministry outlined how the colder weather conditions that will arise in the coming months will affect both Ukrainian and Russian troops in the war, which began in February.

"Winter will bring a change in conflict conditions for both Russian and Ukrainian forces. Changes to daylight hours, temperature and weather will present unique challenges for fighting soldiers," the ministry said.

The intelligence update noted that any decisions that the Russian General Staff make will be in part informed by the onset of winter.

Fewer offensives will be carried out by both Ukraine and Russia, and there will be more static defensive frontlines as daylight will reduce to fewer than nine hours a day, compared to 15 to 16 in the height of summer.

"Night vision capability is a precious commodity, further exacerbating the unwillingness to fight at night," the intelligence update said.

As the average high temperature will drop from 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit) through September to November, and to zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) through December to February, troops will be more unwilling to fight, particularly at night.

"Forces lacking in winter weather clothing and accommodation are highly likely to suffer from non-freezing cold injuries," the defense ministry said.

"The weather itself is likely to see an increase in rainfall, wind speed and snowfall. Each of these will provide additional challenges to the already low morale of Russian forces, but also present problems for kit maintenance," it said.

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S. think tank, assessed on Thursday that Ukraine may be able to take advantage of frozen terrain "to move more easily than they could in the muddy autumn months."

The UK's assessment came after Moscow retreated from the key Ukrainian city of Kherson. The ISW separately said Sunday that Russian troops are likely to concentrate efforts in the eastern Donbas region after withdrawing.

Max Bergmann, the director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said Ukraine will likely assess the winter as an opportunity to continue to press the advantage against Russian forces.

"What we're seeing is that the Russian conscripts that are being thrown to the front, many of them have very little equipment, they're sent without basic necessities like food," he told Newsweek.

"[In] winter you need more gear, you need winter weather gear, you need the ability to stay warm. So, actually the demands on forces on the field increases, and my guess is that the Ukrainians are going to be quite well prepared for this, while I'm not sure a newly mobilized Russian force will be."

"And this is where difficulty in getting supplies to the front, which are sort of these attacks that the Ukrainians are doing, would make it quite difficult for the Russians," Bergmann added.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian foreign ministry for comment.