In the right conditions, the Panzer is fast and maneuverable, allowing soldiers to fire off a few rounds and then scoot away before the Russian side returns fire. The Panzers delivered to the Ukrainian unit have rubber treads that are better for flat, hard surfaces, troops said. Russian artillery also occasionally get stuck, but because of its metal, claw-like tracks, the Peony actually performs better in muddy conditions. Russia has modernized versions of Soviet-made self-propelled howitzers, though Ukrainian troops said they more often faced off against older Soviet weapons systems, particularly multiple-rocket launchers like Grads or Hurricanes. The heavy downpours in Zaporizhzhia over the last few weeks have turned the battlefield into a gelatinous soup. The spring rains have been much more intense this year than normal. But when that will happen is anyone’s guess.
Ukraine is counting on the heat of late spring and summer to dry the ground into firm pavement - ideal for the heavy tanks and artillery pieces that will be central to the counteroffensive.
But among all the variables commanders must consider before launching the attack, the weather may be the most unpredictable. The Zaporizhzhia region, half-occupied by Russian forces, and with vast farm fields leading down to the Azov Sea, is considered a likely area for Ukraine’s big push. Failure to make some progress in the war, by recouping stolen land or inflicting serious damage on Russian forces, could harm morale and test the patience of Ukraine’s western backers. Ukraine is under pressure to launch a counteroffensive and avoid a stalemate that could last through 2023 or longer. Wheels and treads spin and spin, only digging military vehicles deeper into the mire.
It jams weapons and steals the boots from soldiers’ feet. “The vehicles will get stuck and then what will we do if the shooting starts?”ĭeep and black, with a consistency similar to a mixture of cookie dough and wet cement, the spring mud is one obstacle that the Ukrainian military, for all its ingenuity, finds difficult to overcome. “Until the weather improves, there will be no counteroffensive,” said a lieutenant with the brigade named Serhii. They are well rested, have plenty of ammunition and are now in possession of several advanced German-made self-propelled howitzers, which have replaced their old Soviet artillery pieces.īut for the moment, they are barely moving forward, stalled not by ferocious Russian attacks, but by an enemy no less tenacious: the viscous central Ukrainian mud. The troops of Ukraine’s 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade have just about everything they need to begin the expected spring counteroffensive.
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