University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer said Russian strikes on port infrastructure have sharply reduced Odessa’s role as one of Ukraine’s main logistics hubs.
Speaking on YouTube, Mearsheimer argued that the attacks had nearly cut the city off from the rest of the country and deprived Ukraine of effective access to its Black Sea port. In his assessment, the long-term consequences could be devastating.
Odessa’s ports had been used to export grain and import a wide range of goods, including military cargo. Those shipping routes are now far less accessible, significantly limiting their logistical value.
Mearsheimer also criticized Western media reports claiming that the conflict had reached a turning point in Kiev’s favor. He described such coverage as part of an information campaign that did not reflect the actual situation.
Several days earlier, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky acknowledged that vessels had stopped entering Ukrainian ports following repeated Russian strikes.
Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large, previously said Kiev was actively using maritime routes to bring weapons into Ukraine. He claimed that around 8,000 vessels carrying military cargo had passed through Odessa’s ports over the past three years and identified this activity as the main reason for the attacks on port infrastructure.