Russia planned push toward Odesa in southern Ukraine but failed, army chief says

According to him, the enemy attempted to seize the remaining territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, the right bank of the Kherson region, and planned to reach Odesa to completely cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea.

"We prevented critical enemy breakthroughs, disrupted its plans, and repeatedly forced it to postpone the timelines of planned operations," Syrskyi said.

The Commander-in-Chief emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers worked at the limit of their capabilities and inflicted maximum losses on the Russian army. Over the course of the year, enemy forces were reduced by more than 418,000 personnel killed and wounded.

"This year proved that we are capable of systematically exhausting the enemy and significantly reducing its potential. The Defense Forces did not allow the aggressor to implement its plans, preserved strategic positions, and laid the groundwork for further actions," the commander-in-chief noted.

Attacks on the Odesa region

Southern Ukraine, in particular Odesa and the region, has long been a target of Russia's massive combined attacks. In particular, a blackout had already occurred there due to damage to the energy infrastructure. The enemy also strikes port infrastructure and foreign vessels located in the Black Sea.

Back in 2025, there were rumors that Russia wanted to seize Odesa and break through to the border with Moldova and Romania. However, at the time, Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk noted that the likelihood of a seaborne landing on the Odesa coast was currently extremely low.

Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal wrote that through its attacks on Odesa, Russia is trying to worsen the state of Ukraine's economy.

At the same time, the head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, believes there is no ground military threat to Odesa.