Russia Aims to Choke Ukraine’s Last Major Danube Water Artery for NATO Logistics
/ Go to the mediabankCombat launch of a missile from the Iskander operational-tactical missile system to destroy hangars with military equipment and ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during a special military operation. File photo
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Russia’s strikes on the Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail signal its resolve to cripple the logistics chain moving military cargo “barge → warehouse → train → front,” Konstantin Sivkov, a member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, tells Sputnik.Since 2022, the Ukrainian port of Reni has been used for military imports — fuel, equipment, ammunition and UAV components — brought up the Danube by barges from Romania’s Constanta.Konstantin Sivkov outlines the tactical logic behind Russia’s barrage of strikes:In Reni, the Ukrainian Navy command post serves as the control center for the entire Danube flotilla — what remains of Ukraine’s navy after being pushed out of the Black Sea — with river boats, sea drones, communications nodes and headquartersIzmail hosts a forward staging post for Ukrainian troops, with key docking and military storage facilities “This will lead to disruption of the remaining Ukrainian naval vessels and a reduction in attempts to strike our territory with sea drones,” the military expert notes.With Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny ports effectively cut off from the sea, the Danube was Ukraine’s last hope, and its proximity to NATO territory — with Reni just a hundred meters from Romania — provided Ukraine with a “rear safety valve.” Russia’s strikes show that “this immunity no longer exists.” The goal of Russia’s pummeling is to squeeze Ukraine’s last water artery, striking ports receiving military shipments and “choking off logistics coming from NATO,” sums up the analyst.
Russia’s Special Operation in UkraineRussian MoD Details Strikes on Ukrainian Port Infrastructure & VesselsYesterday, 14:42 GMT
