"The target is much broader". Analyst explains how attacks on Bessarabia threaten Ukraine

The intensification of Russian strikes in the south of Odesa region has a much broader goal than simply cutting off Bessarabia from Ukraine. Their task is to destroy Ukrainian logistics. About this in comments LIGA.net said Pavlo Lakiychuk, head of military security programs at the Center for Global Studies "Strategy XXI".

Russia's goal is to complicate Ukraine's logistics and cut it off from the sea. This is something that could weaken Ukraine both economically and militarily.

Ukrainian logistics is structured in such a way that the western border is mainly used for passenger traffic and military and technical assistance supply routes, while the southern border is used for economic activity, explained Lakiychuk.

"Our agricultural exports go through the ports of Odesa and the Danube, and they are also used to supply fuels and lubricants. Cargoes are transported by land to and from Moldova and Romania."

The intensification of these attacks is also related to the negotiation process between Ukraine and the United States, added Oleksiy Melnyk, a military expert at the Razumkov Center.

"This is a maximum escalation of the situation. But as we can see, despite all these strikes, for example, the Russians themselves admit that after so many months of intense bombing of the bridge across the Gulf, it is still more or less functioning. Yes, the damage from these strikes is enormous, but it is probably premature to say that Russia has achieved its goal," he said.

• According to Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery Oleksiy Kuleba, in 2025, Russia intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian ports in an attempt to disrupt logistics and exports. In 2025, 90 such combined strikes were recorded.
• Due to the Russian attacks in Odesa, in the area of the beaches "Dolphin" and "Lanzheron" oil stains, as well as dead birds.