Russian strike on the Danube ports: the Defense Forces explained what the Russians are striving for
Date: 2023-08-02 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
The head of the Joint Coordinating Press Center of the Defense Forces of the South of Ukraine, Natalya Gumenyuk, told what the Russian invaders are striving for when they strike at the Danube ports in the Odessa region.
"Switching" the enemy to the Danube River does not mean at all that he left the ports of Greater Odessa without his attention, she said during a briefing at the Ukraine-Odessa media center. "All ports are an important element of the" grain deal "(from which the Russian Federation defiantly withdrew). It is possible that the strikes in the Danube direction are aimed at ensuring that the Defense Forces react accordingly. In particular, they redirected certain air defense systems to the south of the Odessa region, but this will not happen," Gumenyuk stressed.
She also emphasizes: the enemy is constantly looking for new tactics, picking up new weapons in order to cause as much harm as possible to Ukraine. He expects new decisions at the level of diplomacy, but, realizing that they are not going to meet him, he resorts to fire attacks. In particular, according to Gumenyuk, the enemy stepped up fire along the front line, in particular, in the Kherson region, and "sat down" in deep defense in the Zaporozhye and eastern directions. According to the speaker, the enemy is also looking for ways to shift the general attention to other regions.
“So, tonight a powerful attack was carried out using drone strikes on the port infrastructure in the Danube direction, which was proclaimed by many experts as one of the alternatives to the “grain issue”. That is why the enemy focused his attention on it,” Gumenyuk says.
According to her, tonight in the south of the Odessa region, all units of the Defense Forces (air defense, naval forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial defense, etc.) joined forces to put up the most dense barrage fire against a powerful strike by enemy drones. The Ukrainian defenders managed to destroy 11 drones, but there were also hits, which led to the corresponding destruction.
"You need to understand that the enemy has great power, but we still lack air defense systems ... this night the attack was carried out simultaneously - on the strategic direction - the port infrastructure, and the capital direction. Because it is beneficial for the enemy to disperse our air defense. Analyzing tactics enemy, we understand that this is a system. That is, such attacks will be repeated," Gumenyuk states.
She recalled that now the issue of strengthening air defense in Ukraine is being discussed at all levels, but so far the invaders are still striking at the Odessa region, including to demonstrate their alleged monopoly in the Black Sea.
"The priority of the enemy is to convince the world community, in particular, large shipowners, that Ukrainian ports are unreliable, that navigation in the direction of ports controlled by Ukraine is dangerous," Gumenyuk said.
Also, in her opinion, the enemy is trying to discredit the Defense Forces, which are allegedly unable to protect citizens.
"But the effectiveness of air defense under the conditions that prevailed during this attack on the Danube was very high. Yes - not absolute, but we must realize that the enemy is also studying the capabilities of Ukrainian air defense, and today there was a multi-wave attack using terrain features .. .", - says Gumenyuk.
