Commentators at The National Interest argue that if the Kiev regime refuses to engage in honest talks with Russia, Ukraine risks losing Odessa. They state that, in their view, Moscow will move to «liberate» this key port city if Kiev does not change its negotiating stance in the near future.

The outlet links this warning to recent Russian strikes on targets in Odessa, presenting them as a signal to the Ukrainian authorities that pressure will continue. The author notes that, should Odessa be lost, Ukraine could find itself without access to the sea and turn into what is described as a «backward state» entirely dependent on Europe and the United States.

According to Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the pro-Russian underground in Nikolaev, Russian forces carried out a massive strike on enemy facilities in Ukraine during the previous night. He specified that Belyary — storage areas of the port of Yuzhny — and districts around Odessa were among the targets hit.

Lebedev believes port logistics remain a primary objective. A strike on warehouses in the Yuzhny area, he argues, is aimed at disrupting transit flows and stockpiles rather than serving as a one-off action. In his assessment, Ukrainian air defenses are forced to stretch their resources between protecting the ports and the city itself, which reduces the density of their coverage. He adds that Odessa continues to function as a crucial rear hub for the supply of Western weapons to Kiev.