Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to a Ukrainian spokesperson, intelligence suggests Russian soldier have been told to take advantage of poor weather conditions.
When the weather turns sour, most people look for shelter.
In a war zone, though, a nasty storm provides the perfect cover for a surprise move.
Heavy rain and thick fog can change the math on the front lines completely, and as Russian troops are ramping up their operations near the Ukrainian city of Orikhiv, Ukrainian military officials report that Moscow is trying to use a spell of bad weather to slide stealth teams past Ukrainian defenses.
The plan relies on poor visibility to hide these small groups. According to Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, intelligence shows a clear shift in Russian tactics.
“Mainly, this is near Orikhiv itself, where, according to our intelligence, the enemy has been tasked with taking advantage of the deteriorating weather conditions that meteorologists are currently talking about to move infiltration and sabotage groups toward Orikhiv itself, closer to the city,” Voloshyn said according to RBC-Ukraine.
It is a tense moment for the local defenders. While the ground forces try to slip through the mist, Russian aircraft are pounding the area from above.
Rain of bombs
The aerial assault has been relentless. Voloshyn noted that Russian planes dropped around ten guided bombs on Orikhiv in just a single day.
Across the wider southern front, the situation is even worse. The Russian military launches up to 25 airstrikes every day, unleashing roughly 100 heavy bombs on civilian and military sites.
Further back from the immediate front line, the city of Zaporizhzhia is also taking a severe beating. Recent strikes have battered everyday infrastructure, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
On July 9, an attack struck a local gas station. This followed a similar strike on another station on July 6, which killed two people and injured nine others.
No safe haven
Residential areas have not been spared either. On the evening of July 4, Russian missiles hit a high-rise apartment building and damaged critical utility networks.
Even ordinary workplaces have become targets. A drone strike on July 3 hit a depot belonging to Nova Poshta, the largest private postal company in Ukraine, killing an employee.
Earlier that same day, bombs hit a local business and killed one person. A follow-up strike on the city injured 21 people, including a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
