Fighting along the frontline has stalled in recent days due to bad weather, but the pace could pick up in a few weeks when temperatures drop below zero degrees and the ground on the battlefield freezes, ISW said.

Ukrainians and Russians in hot spots in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Svatovo, Bakhmut and Vugledar, say the operations of the two armies have been “stalled” due to heavy rain and mud on the battlefield.

According to forecasters, from next week the temperature will drop throughout Ukraine, and the freezing of the ground will facilitate the movement of the two armies.

In the regions of northeastern Ukraine, for example, on the Svatove-Kreminna line, from November 28 to December 4, the temperature will drop to daily maximums close to or below zero.

But it will take several days of consistently cold temperatures for the ground to freeze, meaning both armies are likely to resume fighting from the weekend of December 3-4.

It is not clear whether the two armies are planning or preparing to resume the offensive or counter-offensive at this time, but the bad weather will no longer hinder them.

Soldiers stand in the mud in the trenches

Images of Ukrainian soldiers standing in water- and mud-filled trenches in Bakhmut, strikingly similar to World War I scenes, have been shared on social media.

Damp, November cold and a few traces of snow. The soldiers are in wet clothes, sometimes with their boots directly in the mud, or sleep on homemade beds so as not to stand directly in the mud.