Odessa is still under the control of Ukrainian forces (Reuters)

A report published by the Russian newspaper Vzglyad stated that the Ukrainian city of Odessa has great strategic importance, not only in terms of the results of the special military operation, but also for the fate of all of Eastern Europe.

Ukrainian Odessa is located on the coast of the Black Sea, and its people speak the Ukrainian and Russian languages.

The author of the report, Yevgeny Krutikov, stated that the commercial port in Odessa is the most important part of the fate of the entire Eastern Europe.

He continued that service is still continuing in this port and in the smaller port facilities associated with it in other cities, such as the port of Chernomorsk, since since the "Grain Agreement" the passage of ships has changed so that ships loaded with liquid goods head to the Danube River and then along the Romanian coast.

Economy and politics

The Russian newspaper's report continued that "for humanitarian reasons" the Russian armed forces did not target the main port terminals, including the grain terminals, where aid directed to Africa was supposed to pass from there.

The writer explained that the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is located in Odessa, and since Soviet times this has been one of the areas most filled with weapons, buildings, and military warehouses.

Therefore, Odessa and its surroundings remain an important region for the military presence and, given its infrastructure, can be relied upon to manage a large economic and geographical cluster.

The report stated that Odessa is also a stronghold of a diverse political and ethnic diaspora, “such as the Georgian and Chechen legions, which are the cause of turmoil in Ukrainian-Georgian relations.”

She added that Odessa has grown to become one of the main transit points for all Western aid to Ukraine, including arms, since 2022.

Strategic path

The writer stated that Odessa is of great importance to the strategic course of the current war, as Kiev’s retention of it remains an indicator of its strength, and without it, Ukraine will become a hopeless governmental entity, even if it remains in control of the major industrial centers.

The importance of the Odessa region goes beyond just being a city located on the sea, because it is impossible to talk about the liberation of Odessa without political and material control over the entire south of Podolia.

The writer reported that southern Podolia is a strategic location that guarantees access to Transnistria, Moldova, and the borders of Romania, a member state of NATO.

Western reports have circulated news warning of a possible pre-emptive attack by Moldova on Transnistria. Russia's physical presence along the entire Black Sea coast and north of Uman eliminates such threats, according to Vzglyad's report.

The writer said that speculation about Russian forces directing a possible strike on Odessa is no longer just a fantasy, considering that deep penetrations with the destruction of the military infrastructure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are capable of completely changing the composition of the front.

Source: Russian press