Russian troops are getting frostbite in Ukraine because they don't have the right cold-weather gear, US official says

• A US official said some Russians were getting frostbite in Ukraine because they had the wrong gear.
• The official said the issue had forced those troops to the sidelines of the fighting.

Russian forces are getting frostbite while fighting in Ukraine because they don't have adequate cold-weather gear, a senior US defense official said.

The official told reporters during a Tuesday Pentagon briefing that the frostbite problem had forced some Russian troops to the sidelines during the war.

"They're struggling on many fronts," the official said, according to the Task & Purpose reporter Haley Britzky.

It's the latest setback Russian forces have faced in their invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.

A US defense official told reporters at a Monday background briefing that Russian forces were experiencing issues with morale within their ranks because they did not expect such a fierce resistance from Ukraine.

Many Russian troops also had no idea which orders they'd be forced to take in Ukraine, the official said. Russian forces were also having communication and logistical problems in Ukraine, the official said.

Russia's advance on Ukraine has appeared to largely stall across multiple fronts as it struggles to achieve significant military objectives.

As a result, Russian forces are ramping up their assault on Ukrainian cities and civilians, leaving scores dead and displacing millions.