A large-scale amphibious landing operation near Odessa and the seizure of the city would require significant enemy forces and resources — which currently do not exist. However, the Defense Forces are preparing for various scenarios, according to Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn.
“As our President has stated, Russia’s military-political leadership has never hidden that Odessa and the entire south of Ukraine are within their geopolitical ambitions. However, according to our intelligence, to conduct a landing operation and seize Odessa, the enemy would need to amass substantial forces and equipment. As of now, we see no such preparations,” Voloshyn emphasized.
He explained that for Russia to advance toward Odessa by land, it would first need to cross the Dnipro River, then capture cities like Kherson and Mykolaiv before reaching Odessa — a considerable distance.
“You can see how long it’s taking them to try and capture a small city like Chasiv Yar, which had a population of 30,000 before the war. Or a city like Toretsk. Capturing Odessa is nothing more than a grand dream and part of Russia’s information warfare campaign claiming they are capable of such a feat,” he said.
Voloshyn added that while Odessa suffers daily from Shahed drones and ballistic missiles, the city remains fortified and ready to defend itself. The Defense Forces are preparing for all possible developments.
“As for a potential landing, we are fully aware of this threat. That’s why our coastline is equipped with protective measures against such operations — including firepower, defensive systems, and engineering-fortification structures. We do not rule out any direction of attack, as the enemy is insidious and could launch offensives from any side — even from the west, where Russian forces are stationed in Transnistria. We are paying particular attention to that direction as well,” he assured.
