In Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, days of rain have soaked the ground, and this could give the Ukrainian military a leg up ahead of a planned Russian offensive, a senior Pentagon official said.
"The fact that the ground is softer will make it harder for [Russian forces] to do anything off of paved highways," the official told Agence France-Presse. The rain is expected to last for several more days, and coincides with Russia seemingly concentrating its war efforts in eastern Ukraine.
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Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, and weather conditions affected troops in the northern part of the country; because the ground was not frozen hard enough, Russian tanks had to move in convoys on paved roads, making it easier for Ukrainian forces to use Javelin anti-tank systems against them.
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