Oleksii Reznikov said this at a press conference in Odesa.
“I really don't like to make predictions and value judgments, but in order to have a risk of capturing Odesa and the region as a whole, Russia needs to have dominance in the Black Sea. But we have deprived them of this opportunity. Including after the successful use of our Ukrainian Neptunes, when the cruiser Moskva went down at a well-known address. In addition, the Harpoon anti-ship systems are in service, so I don't see any chance for them to approach Odesa from the sea,” the Defense Minister commented on the potential risks for southern Ukraine in the context of possible Russian offensive operations.
However, he claimed that the situation on the left bank of the Dnipro River is more complicated, despite the existence of strong natural protective barriers there.
“As for the left-bank territories of southern Ukraine, the enemy group has the opportunity to replenish weapons, equipment and people, so the situation there is certainly more tense,” Oleksii Reznikov added.