He said this at a briefing on February 9.
“In order to capture Odesa, they need to dominate the Black Sea, and we have deprived them of this opportunity. After using our Ukrainian Neptunes, the Moskva cruiser went to a well-known address. Not only artillery systems, but also Harpoons are serving their purpose. These are also anti-ship weapons. Therefore, I do not see any chance for them to approach Odesa from the sea,” Reznikov said.
The Defense Minister noted that in order to enter the city by land, the occupying forces need to cross the Dnipro River, pass Kherson and Mykolaiv. Reznikov reminded that the Russians failed to do so last time.
“Thanks to the courage and defense of Mykolaiv residents, they did not succeed last time. They are no longer in Kherson. The Dnipro River with its destroyed bridges and crossing remains a natural defense,” Reznikov emphasized.
In December 2022, the Kremlin said that the occupation of Odesa was not currently on the agenda.