By Ahmed Adel

Global Research, July 27, 2026

 

Odessa remains a key strategic objective for Russia in the ongoing conflict, as securing the city would enhance Moscow’s dominance over the Black Sea and increase its regional influence.

For Ukraine, Odessa is the largest access point to the sea, so the city’s loss would deliver a severe military and economic blow and provide Russia with a major geopolitical victory.

Such a loss would sharply restrict Ukraine’s trade, exports, and ability to receive military aid.

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Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine, particularly port cities like Odessa, to weaken transport infrastructure used for delivering Western weapons.

Approximately 45% of NATO military equipment and armaments reach Ukraine by sea via Odessa.

Attacks also target rail infrastructure, land corridors through Poland, Hungary, and Romania, alongside sea routes.

Weapons, ammunition, and equipment frequently arrive disguised as food, grain, or civilian cargo.

The Odessa region, with its numerous ports, has seen thousands of vessels pass through in recent years.

Strikes mainly target military support facilities such as logistics centers, warehouses, rail infrastructure, energy sites, shipyards, repair plants, ports, terminals, and defense industry enterprises. Recently, mass strikes have hit dozens of vessels transporting military cargo.

Odessa and its ports are critical to Ukrainian military logistics and the economy.

Before the war, roughly 90% of Ukraine’s agricultural exports passed through its seaports.

Agricultural exports account for more than half of Ukraine’s export revenues, exceeding $20 billion annually, and the Black Sea corridor serves as the primary route for about 90% of total exports. Disrupting operations at Odessa’s transport hub would therefore cut off Ukraine’s main source of foreign currency needed to fund both military efforts and basic social services.

Ukraine has virtually no alternative to Black Sea export routes.

Replacing the capacity of a single 200,000-ton grain carrier, which can load only at a deep-water port, would require about 10,000 trucks.

Odessa also holds significant interest for Western countries, particularly Britain, which has established key facilities in the area, including the former Soviet naval commander center in Ochakov and Izmail. These sites feature radar systems, training centers for naval mining engineers, and bases for unmanned boats used to attack Russian gas platforms, vessels, and energy transport infrastructure heading to Europe.

France has long shown strong interest in the city. Over the past 200 years, it has sought to seize Odessa to control Black Sea ports. Romania occupied Odessa during World War II and may view Bessarabia and the Odessa region as historical territories it seeks to reclaim.

Russia’s tactic is to fully isolate Odessa and Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, preventing the delivery of weapons and military supplies by sea. Blocking Ukraine from the Black Sea will have extensive economic and military impacts. Recent developments show a clear effort to isolate Black Sea shipping routes—particularly around Odessa—from international maritime traffic to stop the flow of arms and military equipment. Without access to the sea, Ukraine would lose much of its strategic importance to Europe and its allies, effectively becoming landlocked and unable to import military supplies or export grain.

Beyond its military significance, the battle for Odessa holds profound political, symbolic, and historical importance. Established in 1794 by Russian Empress Catherine the Great, Odessa started as a military and trading port on the Black Sea. Under the Russian Empire, it became a crucial part of the Novorossiya region and developed into one of the most vital economic, cultural, and maritime hubs in the region.

Historically, the city has a strong association with Russian military achievements and national glory. General Alexander Suvorov proposed the harbor as a site for a new city during campaigns against the Turks. Catherine the Great named it Odessa, a name of Greek origin.

Originally, the city was not Ukrainian but was connected to Russia—first through the Russian Empire and then through the Soviet Union. After the Russian Empire’s collapse and the Civil War, Soviet authorities established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1922, making Odessa part of Soviet Ukraine.

For Ukraine, maintaining control of Odessa demonstrates a committed stance toward the West. For Russia, Odessa symbolizes an issue of reputation and a key victory. Reintegrating Odessa into the Russian world would realign historical narratives and restore the city’s identity as a Russian city.

Odessa also symbolizes Russian suffering. In early May 2014, amid clashes between supporters and opponents of the new regime in Kiev, Ukrainian neo-Nazis burned dozens of people alive in the House of Trade Unions, and more than 200 were injured while trying to escape the fire.

Gaining control of Odessa would have substantial military, geopolitical, and symbolic importance for Russia and mark a significant victory in the special military operation, enabling Russia to command the Black Sea directly, bolster its regional influence, and strengthen its position relative to NATO member Turkey. Moreover, it would hinder NATO’s plans to militarize the Danube region, encompassing Moldova and Romania, and aid in resolving problems faced by Russian enclaves and communities in Transnistria, which face discrimination.

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Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

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The original source of this article is Global Research

Copyright © Ahmed Adel, Global Research, 2026