Ukraine war: From the battlefield to the home front, how will winter impact the conflict?
Although many parts of Ukraine have been in the grip of wintry conditions for weeks already, the official meteorological start of winter happens on 21 December, the Winter Solstice, and the shortest day of the year.
Temperatures in Kyiv this week are hovering a few degrees above freezing, but extreme cold is not unusual and in the eastern Donbas region, where much of the fighting is taking place, winter temperatures have dropped below -30°C within recent memory.
As Russian forces repeatedly target Ukrainian infrastructure in the last few months, electricity supplies have become erratic, blackouts more frequent, and while repair crews have seemingly worked miracles to restore heat and power in the capital and other cities on a weekly basis, there is a recognition of how vulnerable those services can be.
So how might winter impact every aspect of life, and war, in Ukraine?
The sustained Russian barrages on infrastructure sites -- and the impact that has on services like heating and electricity -- could mean another surge of Ukrainians who want to move to safer parts of the country or to a neighbouring country.
According to the International Rescue Committee, approximately 6.5 million people in Ukraine have been displaced and are facing freezing winter conditions after being forced to flee their homes.
"Many are taking shelter in damaged buildings and have limited access to food, electricity and heat," the IRC said.
An estimated 17.7 million people across Ukraine are in need of humanitarian assistance, and the IRC and other international agencies are scaling up their response as the weather gets colder -- distributing essential winter items, including blankets and heaters.
As temperatures plunge well below freezing, the lack of
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