An expert cited three main reasons for Russia's intense airstrikes on the Odesa region
Alexander Kovalenko, a military and political analyst with the “Information Resistance” group, identified the main causes of Russia’s round-the-clock missile and drone attacks against Odesa and the region, which is destroying port infrastructure and killing civilians and foreign sailors.
According to the analyst, Russia currently lacks the military resources to conduct a ground offensive or amphibious operation to capture southern Ukraine, so it is resorting to aerial terror. The first reason is a lack of forces to simultaneously exert pressure on all regions of Ukraine, which is why the enemy changes the directions of its attacks roughly once a quarter, currently focusing on the Odesa region. The second reason is that the enemy is testing tactics for using new jet-powered drones, for which the region’s coastline serves as a convenient testing ground.
Oleksandr Kovalenko considers the third reason to be the occupiers’ serious crisis and deadlock in the Southern Operational Zone. This refers to the Russian Federation’s military problems in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, the logistical lockdown and gradual isolation of occupied Crimea, the blockade of the Sea of Azov, and the losses of tankers from the “shadow fleet.” With its cynical strikes on Odesa, the Kremlin is trying to divert attention from its own military failures and the catastrophe unfolding on the peninsula, acting like a rat cornered. In addition, by attacking commercial vessels being loaded, Russia seeks to intimidate foreign companies transporting civilian cargo through the Ukrainian “maritime corridor.” To instill terror, the enemy is even risking its valuable tactical aviation, deploying Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35 fighters, as well as the fifth-generation Su-57, to launch X-59, X-69, and X-31P missiles.
Commenting on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement of the creation of a maritime defense line based on interceptor drones, the analyst noted that it would be effective against classic piston-engine “Shahed-136” drones. However, countering the enemy’s new jet-powered drones, which can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h, will be difficult due to the low speed of anti-aircraft drones. According to the expert, to counter the jet-powered component, Ukraine will have to revisit the issue of deploying short-range anti-aircraft missile systems.
Source: UNIAN
Russian strike on the Kernel terminal in the Odesa region destroyed thousands of metric tons of oil
As a result of the Russian attack on Odesa on the night of July 13, the premises of a trucking company, private homes, and a local health resort were damaged. A fire broke out among buses at the site of the strike.
