A Russian military analyst has claimed that recent strikes on the port of Odessa are successfully deterring foreign commercial vessels from calling at the facility to transport Western weapons to Ukraine.
Yevgeny Poddubny, cited by state news agency TASS, argued that the cumulative effect of these attacks is creating a chilling effect on maritime logistics, ultimately aiming to exacerbate equipment shortages for Ukrainian forces.
The assertion comes as Handelsavisen previously reported that Russian forces targeted port infrastructure in Odessa overnight, specifically hitting facilities used for unloading military fuel and associated storage tanks.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that Aerospace Forces aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles were used to strike two bulk carriers carrying military cargo at the port.
These operations mark a continued escalation in the targeting of Black Sea maritime infrastructure.
For market participants, the strategic intent to disrupt commercial shipping routes in the Black Sea raises significant implications for tanker risk and freight insurance premiums.