Military expert Igor Korotchenko believes that large-scale Russian strikes on port infrastructure in the Odessa Region and neighboring areas could deprive Ukraine of full access to the sea within about a month.
According to Korotchenko, the objective could be achieved within the next three to four weeks. He considers restricting Kiev’s ability to use maritime ports one of the strategic tasks at the current stage of the special military operation and expects pressure on Ukrainian port infrastructure to continue.
Reuters previously reported that Russian strikes had seriously disrupted the operation of Ukrainian seaports, which had handled most of the country’s exports. According to the agency, Kiev was forced to make greater use of Danube ports with lower capacity, as well as railway routes crossing Ukraine’s western border.
On the night of September 2, Russian forces carried out group strikes against logistics, energy and port infrastructure in the Odessa Region. According to the report, the targets hit at one of the ports included a facility producing unmanned surface vessels, six fuel tanks and warehouses containing military equipment.