The US and its allies earlier warned the international community that Russia’s so-called military operation in Ukraine is likely going to transform into a long and protracted war.
Now, the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa has become the centrepoint to Russia’s military objectives as well as the Ukrainian resistance.
Residents of Odessa are warming up to the fact that their city is no longer the safe haven for civilians fleeing war from the cities of Mykolaiv, Kherson and other major southern cities, some of which have already fallen to the Russians while some have turned into an active warzone.
Speaking to Ukrainian news agency the Kyiv Independent, residents said that they are ready to defend the Ukrainian port city which was until a few months ago a bustling tourist hotspot and attracted large numbers of travellers but has now turned into a city getting ready for war.
If Putin succeeds in capturing Odessa and Mariupol, it will allow him to firstly build a land border between the so-called republics of Donetsk, southern Ukraine and Crimean peninsula; secondly it will also allow to cut Ukraine from the Black Sea.
Capturing and conquering Odessa will be another symbolic win for Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Odessa was Czarist Russia and Soviet Russia’s largest sea port and was founded during Russia’s imperial expansion in the late 18th century.
Capturing Odessa will also add to increasing global food crisis as the port is a a major gateway for grain shipments.
It is understandable that Russia still wields influence over the residents of Odessa.
A report by Kyiv Independent said that some Odessa residents believe that Russian sympathisers in Odessa are detrimental to Ukraine’s resistance.
Once a university lecturer, Vasyl Dyachenko, now a Territorial Defence Unit fighter, said that Russian sympathisers are ready to stab them in the back.
“Half of the population here is pro-Russian. Many of them publicly changed sides, some laid low. Their sabotage and reconnaissance groups are ready to hit us in the back,” Dyachenko was quoted as saying by the news agency.
Odessa is also a target for Russian forces because it is also an avenue for Ukraine’s allies to send lethal supplies and weapons.
On Tuesday, the Russian army attacked a shopping centre and a warehouse with more than seven missiles killing one and injuring five.
A prized jewel for both Russians and Ukrainians, it is likely that Odessa may face severe attacks similar to what Mariupol is currently facing.
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