Kathrine Frich
Battlefield conditions can shape the outcome of military operations as much as strategy itself.
In eastern and southern Ukraine, a sudden shift in weather has coincided with a sharp escalation in fighting.
Sudden escalation
Russian forces have suffered a sharp rise in casualties in recent days, according to figures released by Ukraine’s General Staff cited by Ziare.
Daily losses reportedly climbed above 1,700, roughly double the levels seen during the winter months.
Kyiv said 1,710 Russian casualties were recorded on March 18, followed by 1,520 the next day, compared to around 800 in preceding days.
The increase comes as fighting intensifies ahead of a possible larger spring offensive.
Fog cover attacks
Ukrainian officials say the spike in losses is linked to a series of coordinated Russian assaults carried out under heavy fog.
The attacks took place between March 17 and 18 along a front stretching more than 100 kilometres, from Rodynske to Huliaipole, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Open-source battlefield maps indicated continued pressure in these مناطق, though no major territorial gains were confirmed.
Heavy losses reported
Ukrainian commander Robert Brovdi, known as “Madyar,” said Russian troops launched repeated waves of attacks using infantry, armoured vehicles and motorcycles.
“The sudden weather changes on March 17-18, including fog, were used by the enemy to resume assault actions,” he said.
He added that more than 500 Russian soldiers were killed by Ukrainian drone units during one phase of the fighting.
By midday on March 18, losses had risen further, with hundreds more reported dead or wounded.
Drone advantage
Brovdi described how limited visibility allowed Russian forces to advance, but also made them vulnerable to Ukrainian drone strikes.
He said troops moved “with massed infantry, motorcycles, simultaneously in over a dozen sectors,” before being targeted.
The attacks were carried out in successive waves, with drone operators striking before Russian units could reach Ukrainian positions.
He warned that the overall losses were likely higher and that “the rest of March will be a hard and protracted battle.”
Wider context
The claims could not be independently verified.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has previously said Kyiv aims to inflict up to 50,000 Russian casualties per month to weaken Moscow’s offensive capacity.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia has lost more than 1.28 million troops since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Western analysts have also estimated that Russian losses significantly exceed those of Ukraine, with ratios ranging between 2:1 and 2.5:1.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, Ukraine General Staff, CSIS, Ziare.
