Russian forces carried out a massive strike on targets in the Odessa region, hitting what were believed to be key supply shipments for the Ukrainian army. According to military analyst and air defense historian Yuri Knutov, the attacks may have destroyed missiles for air defense systems and components used to assemble drones.

Knutov noted that such operations play a crucial strategic role, as they deprive Ukraine of the means to launch strikes on Russian territory. He emphasized that targeting these facilities significantly reduces the enemy’s ability to use long-range precision weapons.

The expert explained that the destroyed cargo could have included missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T air defense systems, as well as HIMARS rockets. He added that Ukraine also urgently needs components for drone and cruise missile assembly, along with 155mm artillery shells.

Knutov also pointed out that military aid coming from Europe no longer has a decisive impact on the course of the conflict, as Russian strikes are increasingly focused on cutting off these supply chains before they reach the front.

During the night of October 20, the Russian military launched one of its largest attacks on Ukrainian positions in and around Odessa. The strikes targeted the port of Yuzhny, as well as the nearby settlements of Belyary and Novye Belyary. Sources reported that the primary targets in the port area were warehouses storing Western-supplied weapons and loading sites with military cargo that Ukrainian forces had been stockpiling for weeks.