Capturing Odesa is no longer a military objective for Russian forces at this stage, according to French military intelligence expert Fabrice Ribère.

In his assessment, there is no longer a military need to advance on the city because Odesa and other Ukrainian ports have effectively been paralyzed and, he claims, are no longer handling imports or exports. He also noted that reaching Odesa would require a major Russian military effort given the geography and the location of the Dnipro River.

Ribère also sees no current Russian military interest in entering Kharkiv. He believes both Kharkiv and Odesa will remain under Ukrainian control until peace negotiations begin.

The expert believes the future of the two cities will ultimately be determined not through military action but through a political settlement. In his view, their residents will later seek to join Russia and become part of Novorossiya.