The first snow of the year has already come to parts of Ukraine. It turns the thick, wet mud of autumn -- churned by boots, tracks and tyres -- into a freezing quagmire that seeps inevitably through clothing, and into the bones of soldiers ill-equipped to face the changing seasons.
In Finland and Sweden, the militaries know a thing or two about extreme cold weather combat, and how to battle the elements.
And with an eye on the weather, the two Nordic nations have announced their biggest packages of military aid for Ukraine to date. "It is important that we keep supporting Ukraine and providing it with the means to end the war," said Antti Kaikkonen, Finland's minister of defence. "Ukraine is fighting and defending its independence and freedom, it's right to help assist Ukraine in this situation.
That's why Finland and most European countries help," he told Euronews in an interview. The tenth -- and latest -- Finnish defence package is valued at €55.6 million, bringing the combined value of all defence material earmarked for Ukraine to €160.4m since the start of the war.