Sub zero temperatures of -20C could force Vladimir Putin’s troops in the 40-mile convoy stalled outside Kyiv to freeze to death in their tanks, according to a former army chief.
The huge convoy of tanks and vehicles has been stuck on roads located around 30 miles from Ukraine’s capital for almost a week amid claims of mechanical issues and empty fuel tanks.
The tanks could become tombs for Russian soldiers in the coming days with conditions set to drop to -10C at night - and even colder with the added windchill element.
Vladimir Putin’s Moscow fighters are not equipped for severe cold war fighting, according to military sources.
Former British Army Major Kevin Price told MailOnline the invaders’ tanks will become “40-ton freezers” for those still inside, which will destroy morale.
Glen Grant, a senior defence expert at the Baltic Security Foundation, said the Russians inside the convoy may have to surrender to avoid freezing to death, report Mirror Online.
He told Newsweek: “You just can’t sit around and wait because if you are in the vehicle you are waiting to be killed.
“They are not stupid.”
Reports have been heard of Putin’s troops overheard complaining about the war in calls to family and friends back home.
The unprovoked invasion of neighbouring Ukraine by Russian forces on the command of President Vladimir Putin has sparked bloodshed and chaos.
With Putin’s troops shelling cities across Ukraine and the nation’s army vowing to fight to the death to defend their land, observers fear the death toll will be enormous.
On Sunday, February 27, Ukraine’s health minister reported that at least 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion began, and more than 1,000 wounded.
On March 1, Ukraine claimed to have killed 5,710 Russian soldiers since the start of the invasion.
These claims have not yet been independently verified but a human rights monitoring team from the United Nations has confirmed more than 500 civilian casualties in Ukraine.
At least 136 people have been killed, including 13 children, a UN report showed on Tuesday.
Bachelet, addressing the opening session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, previously said: “Most of these civilians were killed by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multi-launch rocket systems, and air strikes. The real figures are, I fear, considerably higher.”
It comes as Ukraine’s President accused Russia of ‘state terrorism’ on Tuesday after the indiscriminate bombing of Kharkiv.
While the soldiers shiver in sub-zero conditions, the falling temperatures will also cause a nightmare for Ukraine’s refugees.
Forced out of their homes by constant Russian shelling, the plummeting conditions could cause the current humanitarian crisis in the country to worsen still further.
Some cities, including Mariupol in the south east, currently have no power, water or heat, leading to fears those still inside their ravaged homes could die without help.
Yesterday it was reported a six-year-old girl died from dehydration “alone, weak, frightened, thirsty” in the besieged city of Mariupol.
Her tragic death came after spending days with no water, power or heating supplies.
Last week Russian forces cornered the port city with constant airstrikes, leaving residents without energy and water, with no way to evacuate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the child’s death this morning in a video address and officials later said her name was Tanya.
Likening the humanitarian crisis linked to Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities to that created by the Nazi invasion during World War Two, he said sadly: “In 2022, from dehydration.”
The city’s mayor, Vadym Boychenko, later said: “Her mother was killed. We don’t know how long the girl was fighting for her life.
“We can’t imagine how much suffering she had to bear. In the last minutes of her life she was alone, weak, frightened, thirsty.”
Sky’s weather producer Jo Robinson added: “Overnight lows of -10C are forecast for parts of the east - especially Kharkiv.
“It could feel like -20C at night with the wind chill.
“The cold will be extensive across Ukraine, but the lowest temperatures seem to be in the east.
“It looks like the cold spell will last into the weekend.”
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