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Post: “This is the hardest time.” What did the army encounter in Donbass?

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MOSCOW, January 3 – RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Winter dictates its own rules of war. Warriors in the Donbass are opposed not only to each other, but also to “General Frost” – low temperatures and a piercing steppe wind are not unusual here. About how soldiers deal with the cold in RIA Novosti material.

Boots or boots

Warm and comfortable clothes are no less important than useful weapons, comfortable living conditions and timely delivery of bullets, water and food. Conflict is now mostly positional in nature. Soldiers on both sides of the front sit in frozen trenches and “bare” forest fields. Anyone who does not take care of his winter field uniform will quickly catch a cold or pneumonia.

“They give us winter clothes, but we need to buy ourselves something,” says an officer of the 1st Army Corps of Donetsk with a call sign, “Soldiers dress according to the multi-layered principle. Everyone needs to have several sets of thermal underwear. fleece jacket and optional as panties. The last layer is a winter pea coat and thick trousers. A buff collar covering the neck is very desirable. And of course mittens, mittens, a hat. With such equipment, a soldier can stay in the cold for a long time without moving.

Good shoes are just as important. Frostbite of the lower extremities is one of the most common winter problems that can leave them permanently disabled.

There are no universal tips here. Those lucky enough to get it wear Western tactical boots with Gore-Tex membranes. A simpler option is home hats with faux fur. Insulated rubber boots are preferred instead of boots in some parts of the front. As practice shows, these are the most reliable shoes in the “mud bath” conditions of the watery Donbass black soil.

The road to the artillery positions on the Svatov line - RIA Novosti, 1920, 15.12.2022
The road to the artillery positions on the Svatov line

“It’s very desirable to have special thick insoles for the winter,” the officer continues, “and good ski socks are highly valued here. They keep well warm, the feet don’t sweat. My unit was lucky: in the fall, volunteers brought it with a margin, made of camel hair, the guys. He was also highly praised.”

Chemical velcro foot warmers at a special price. Heat for a few hours. But they are disposable, so there is always a great shortage.

The main thing is a potbelly stove

Even a perfectly dressed and equipped soldier in severe frosts will not last long in open fields. Therefore, organizing frontline living is a top priority for any unit. Warriors arriving at new positions first of all take shovels, crowbars, pickaxes and gas tools. There are many miners in the army units of the Donbass people’s republics. They approach the subject with all responsibility.

Svatovsky defensive line - RIA Novosti, 1920, 12/15/2022
Svatovsky defensive line

A striking example is one of the platoon “supporters” of the 206th Infantry Regiment of the Luhansk 2nd Army Corps on the Kremennaya-Svatovo line. Full profile trenches are lined with boards. This not only eliminates the shedding of walls at a close break, but also solves the problem of dirt in the trenches. In the depths of the positions, bunkers protected by logs in three rolls were equipped. Even in the most severe frost, it is warm inside – a potbelly stove is heated by a specially appointed person, and the walls are hung with carpets for thermal insulation. Here you can always warm up, drink hot tea and relax after the night shift.

At the same time, on the eve of winter, military engineers from Russia developed an interesting fortification solution. Construction equipment digs a pit, into which a standard sea container is loaded by a crane. Two pipes are removed for ventilation and from under the potbelly stove. The entire structure is covered with a thick concrete slab and covered with earth. From the inside, the container is sheathed with boards or clapboard. The result is a comfortable, dry and bulletproof enclosure in which a motorized rifle crew can be accommodated with relative ease.

A warrior in artillery positions carries firewood into a field bath - RIA Novosti, 1920, 12/15/2022
A warrior in the artillery posts carries firewood to the field bath

“A soldier’s main friend in winter is a stove,” says an officer of the DPR’s NM 2nd Army Corps with the call sign Leshy. “We have been stockpiling fuel cells since September. We use firewood, combustible briquettes, coal, warm In winter, we try to feed the warriors with high-calorie food so that they do not freeze.

Problem for the back

“General Frost” also affects iron. Of course, military equipment of Soviet and Russian production is quite reliable – it is designed for a range from minus 50 to plus 50 degrees. However, special fuels and lubricants (POL) and special spare parts, tools and accessories (SPTA) are needed in winter.

Therefore, in cold weather, a special load falls on the shoulders of those behind, who have to regularly deliver all this to the front.

It is much more difficult for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight in such conditions. Armored vehicle fleet is a colorful salad dressing consisting of vehicles from different countries and manufacturers. Each type of weapon requires its own spare parts and lubricants, maintenance specialists. These factors in conditions of sticky mud and deep snowdrifts greatly complicate the work of suppliers.

It is also unknown how foreign equipment will behave in Eastern European frosts.

Tulip self-propelled mortar at the positions of the Russian artillery - RIA Novosti, 1920, 12/15/2022
Self-propelled mortar “Tulip” at the positions of the Russian artillery

Another important factor is the difficulty of camouflage. If a column of armored vehicles can be hidden in a forest farm in the summer, then from November the “bright green” will gradually disappear. There aren’t many reliable shelters. In addition, the tracks of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and trucks are perfectly visible from the air. Finally, in cold weather, hot engines can be seen through thermal imaging surveillance devices.

These factors, as a rule, are taken into account: winter camouflage is applied to the equipment, which is masked by special capes that reduce heat radiation. They divert forces and resources into fog and snowstorms when aerial reconnaissance is too difficult.

In general, although “General Frost” is a serious competitor for any army, the army has already learned to resist him. It will become clear how effective it will be from the results of the winter campaign, which is currently in full swing.

Source: Ria

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