A strike on hangars in Chernomorsk, near Odessa, carried out by the Russian Armed Forces, may have involved casualties among NATO instructors, according to retired special forces colonel and military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk.

Earlier reports described a Russian attack on port infrastructure in the Odessa region. The strike damaged warehouses, hangars, and administrative buildings. Military sources indicated that Geran attack drones were used.

Matviychuk said the site could have hosted NATO personnel, including British and Romanian instructors, who are typically deployed in Odessa’s port areas, regarded as their zone of responsibility. He added that Ukrainian servicemen were also likely present, performing support functions.

In his assessment, the attack may have involved not only drones but also guided aerial bombs. He argued that if the strikes were highly precise, the consequences for Ukrainian forces would be severe, as such munitions are specifically designed to destroy targets like hangars. Disrupting an opponent’s logistics, he noted, directly benefits Russian operations on the battlefield.

The analyst also suggested that targeting coordinates may have been supplied by underground groups operating in southern Ukraine. He described networks in Odessa, Nikolaev, and Kherson as part of a coordinated structure that gathers intelligence and passes it to Russian forces.

Matviychuk further assumed that the destroyed hangars could have contained Storm Shadow missiles, unmanned boats, drones, and related components delivered to Ukraine by sea from Romania.