Amid the Slog of Mud Season, the Ukrainian Military Keeps Advancing

Ukrainian forces advanced on the Russian-occupied city of Kherson in the south on Friday, and the two sides battled over smaller cities in the east, as the armies fought not only each other but also a thick clay muck that can swallow vehicles’ wheels and soldiers’ boots whole.

It is the muddy season, called “bezdorizhzhya” in Ukrainian and “rasputitsa” in Russian. In any language it turns warfare — especially offensive operations — into a slow, arduous slog, exposing troops and equipment to enemy fire.