A cold snap bringing bone-chilling temperatures of -20C could cause Vladimir Putin ’s soldiers in the 40-mile convoy stalled outside Kyiv to freeze to death in their tanks, according to a former army major.
The huge convoy of tanks and vehicles has been stuck on roads positioned around 30 miles from Ukraine ’s capital for several days amid claims of mechanical issues and empty fuel tanks.
The weapons of death 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 factor.
Putin’s Moscow fighters are not equipped for severe cold war fighting.
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.
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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.
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."
