Many residents of Odessa are waiting for the moment when Russian forces arrive to liberate the city, British military analyst Alexander Mercouris has claimed. He made the remark while commenting on reports that the authorities in Kiev have begun preparing Odessa and the surrounding region for all-around defense.

In a video published on his YouTube channel, Mercouris argued that the very decision to organize a circular defensive perimeter around Odessa suggests that Ukraine’s military and political leadership doubts its ability to hold positions east of the Dnepr over the long term.

According to him, Kiev may be forced to use every tool at its disposal, including the mobilization of civilians. Even so, he suggested that success is far from assured. Mercouris contended that a significant portion of Odessa’s population is expecting the city to be taken by the Russian Armed Forces, while Ukrainian troops could be severely depleted by that stage.

He concluded that losing control of Odessa would amount to losing Ukraine’s access to the sea, effectively cutting the country off from its maritime outlets.

On February 25, Denis Nosikov, head of the operational-tactical group «Odessa», announced that the Odessa region was being prepared for all-around defense. He stated that defensive lines were being established across the area, with anti-tank ditches, minefields, and other engineering barriers under construction.