Russian amphibious landing in Odessa only possible if Mykolaiv defense is broken - Ukraine's Armed Forces 

He said this on the air on Espreso.TV.

"It has become difficult to talk about Odesa and Mykolaiv separately as regards the naval operation and the possibility of a landing. From my point of view, from a military point of view, amphibious assaults are not, as a rule, numerous. They need large numbers and land support. Therefore, an amphibious assault on Odesa is possible only if the Mykolaiv defense is broken. If Mykolaiv is taken or encircled, then Russian troops can advance on Odesa. At that point a landing force from the sea could succeed. As long as Mykolaiv stands and holds the line of defense, it is impossible for ground forces to advance into Odesa, and Odesa is safe", Kostenko explained.

He added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, volunteer battalions and Odesa would be able to handle a Russian landing.

"Therefore, now the South - Odessa and Mykolaiv are two inseparable regions that hold each other. One from land, one from the sea. A particular region depends on the success of each of them. We need to hold out now, and then unite and return Kherson and, of course, Crimea to our region", Kostenko summed up.