Russian Analyst Names Priority Targets in Ukraine
Russian military analyst Mikhail Khodaryonok says Ukraine’s power system, Odessa port and critical railway junctions should be priority targets.
The outcome of any armed conflict is determined by which side inflicts unacceptable losses on the enemy faster and deprives it of the ability to continue fighting. This assessment was given by military analyst and retired Russian General Staff Colonel Mikhail Khodaryonok while discussing priority targets for Russian strikes.
In his view, Ukraine’s power supply should become one of the main areas of attack. Khodaryonok argues that without electricity, all critically important infrastructure stops functioning, which is why the energy system should be treated as a key target.
The analyst also identified the Odessa port as another major objective. He said the Ukrainian Armed Forces receive large volumes of supplies needed for warfare through the port and argued that it should have been destroyed during the first year of the conflict.
According to Khodaryonok, the same approach should be applied to Ukraine’s railway infrastructure. He stressed that as long as weapons and ammunition continue reaching the front line, Ukrainian forces will not face shortages.
Commenting on recent strikes against Ukrainian filling stations, the analyst said this approach alone was insufficient. He noted that military fuel supplies do not depend on civilian filling stations, while air defense systems operate using gas turbine generators and diesel power stations. The fuel required for this equipment continues to be transported across Ukraine.
Khodaryonok also questioned what political restrictions could prevent Russia from destroying the railway network. At the same time, he said there was no need to eliminate the entire system. Striking the most vulnerable junctions would be enough to make the network inoperable and require years of reconstruction.
He concluded that the enemy’s weakest points must be identified and attacked. Such strikes, in his view, should have not only operational and strategic significance but also a moral and psychological effect.