The sea for Odessa has always been both a defense and a serious problem. In the case of the current full-scale war, the sea became a barrier to an amphibious assault in 2022, but it has become a serious problem in repelling air threats, particularly the attacks by Shahed-136 kamikaze drones.
I’ve probably written more than a few articles on the problems of intercepting Shahed-136 in the unique conditions of Odessa and the surrounding area, so now I want to focus on a few important points regarding the current tactics of air defense, which I wrote about recently.
I want to emphasize the need for the use of electronic warfare (EW) and fast attack boats, which serve as mobile fire units at sea. As we are in 2025, it seems that Odessa residents must think about their safety on their own, because what the air defense forces do is limited by capabilities, especially financial ones, and the city authorities neither implement nor force the relevant individuals who could financially support this to act... Unfortunately, in Odessa, there are very few oligarchs and wealthy individuals who, over the three years of war, could have ensured an EW shield over the city, so that any approach of Shahed-136 would end in its wandering and self-destruction. No, this has not happened.
The downside of EW in Odessa is that we cannot use a "square" to suppress an enemy drone at the early stages of a strike drone's approach to the city and region. Again, the sea interferes with this.
On the other hand, the sea does help, specifically the slopes. In Odessa, high-rise buildings are lined up along the slopes, and placing EW systems on them can significantly simplify the process of suppressing navigation due to both natural and artificial elevation.
This is exactly the kind of system we need on every high-rise at least along the coast, not to mention deeper into the city, especially in the format of creating "squares." We need to turn the city into a so-called network for catching Shahed-136, so that once they enter the built-up areas, they cannot leave.
Let’s call it "EW blocks."
Why is this necessary? I’ll explain for those who are not familiar. To prevent a Shahed-136 from reaching its target, four interference sources are needed, and the sooner its navigation is disrupted, the higher the error in its inertial navigation system, potentially leading to the complete cancellation of its approach to the target and causing the drone to "circle" while trying to re-approach. This takes time. But at the same time, it gives a fire group the chance to neutralize it.
The question is, why hasn’t this been implemented in Odessa yet? I don’t know the answer to that. Or...
Installing EW systems on high-rise buildings and creating such a network is much cheaper than placing dozens of short-range air defense systems along the coastline. So, is the issue that the city lacks the funds to acquire such a system to enhance the security of its residents?
That’s how we live. From night to night...
