The Russian invasion of Ukraine,[/B] which has left behind thousands of dead, millions of refugees and incalculable material damage, continues unabated for the 11th day.
At the same time, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, shows no intention of stopping the war and states that the "military operation" will only stop if the Ukrainians stop fighting, which the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has repeatedly denied.
At the same time, Russian troops in the north and east of the country may be struggling, but their advance into southern Ukraine appears to be more successful. This is, after all, the reason why he is placing special emphasis on that side. The Russian operation towards the Ukrainian south was based in Crimea, which was annexed in 2014 and has since hosted a significant size of Russian troops.
Russian troops are moving from Crimea west to Odessa and east to Mariupol, threatening to cut off Ukraine's access to the sea, a major blow to the country's economy.
"Russia prepares to bomb Odessa"
So it appears that the operation in southern Ukraine is proceeding as planned. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian military forces are preparing to bomb Odessa, a strategic city and Ukraine's main port located on the Black Sea coast.
"It will be a military crime. It will be a historic crime," he said in a video, as the Russian military, moving from annexed Crimea further east, continues its advance into southern Ukraine, bombing many of the country's cities.
"Russians have always come to Odessa and felt nothing but warmth and sincerity in Odessa" a bustling city of nearly a million people and a longtime favorite of Russian tourists, he said."
"And now what's happening? Bombs against Odessa? Artillery against Odessa? Rockets against Odessa?" he said indignantly.
Why Odessa is so pivotal
The answer to why Odessa is so pivotal is attempted by Karl Qualls, Professor of History at Dickinson College, via the BBC.
"Strategically, there are major ports in this region that will allow Putin to strangle Ukraine's ability to get supplies from the sea," he said.
If Mariupol, which has a population of 450,000, falls, Russia would take control of one of Ukraine's largest ports and create a land corridor between Crimea and the Russian-backed Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
Connecting Crimea to mainland Russia through the separatist regions would facilitate the transfer of goods between Russia and Crimea, something Moscow has long ardently desired. At present, the Crimean peninsula is connected to mainland Russia only by a huge bridge.
Northwest of Mariupol is the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant that Russia has seized. In normal times, this plant produces about 20% of Ukraine's electricity, so Moscow now has control of a major energy source.
The Russian army also captured Kherson, located where the Dnieper River flows into the Black Sea.
If Russia can move further west, to Odessa and beyond, it would not only "cut off" Ukraine's access to the sea, but would have surrounded the country on three sides, effectively suffocating it.
"If they take Odessa, they will have in their hands a key city to create a strategic arc around Ukraine."
"If they take Odessa, they will have in their hands a key city to create a strategic arc around Ukraine."
"If they take Odessa, they will have in their hands a key city to create a strategic arc around Ukraine. With Belarus in the north and Donbass in the east, they will have the country almost surrounded," explains Catherine Wanner, professor of history at Penn State University.
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