Strikes On Odesa Bridges: Russia Cuts Ukraine Off From 60% Of Imported Fuel (Videos)

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On the night of December 21, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian troops launched 97 attack drones over Ukrainian territory, 75 of which were shot down or suppressed. The primary targets of the Russian strikes were bridges and pontoon crossings in the Odesa region leading to Danube ports such as Izmail and Reni. These ports are a critically important economic artery for the country: Ukraine imports about 60% of all fuel through them. The bridges near the settlements of Zatoka and Mayaki serve as the main land gateways for these cargoes, including military supplies. Their destruction creates a threat of fuel shortages for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, agriculture, and the entire economy, raising prices and paralyzing logistics chains.

For the fourth consecutive day, drone strikes targeted the bridge and crossings in the village of Mayaki. This strategically important facility was attacked again on the evening of December 20 and the night of December 21. According to expert estimates, these actions aim to cut off the Danube ports from the rest of the region. Following the damage to the bridge in Zatoka several days ago, disabling the bridge in Mayaki forced the Ukrainian side to hastily erect a pontoon crossing, which also immediately became a target for Russian attacks.

A small Russian Black Sea Fleet missile ship of the “Buyan-M” project launches “Kalibr” missiles

Turkish sailors observe the attack by Russian kamikaze drones on targets in the Odesa port area

Furthermore, the railway bridge in the settlement of Sarata, a key transport hub on the route from the bridges to the Danube ports, was hit, as were facilities in the Yuzhny port, including the “Allseeds Black Sea” oil extraction complex, where tank damage led to sunflower oil spills.

The breakthroughs by Russian aviation and the subsequent infrastructure destruction directly led to personnel changes in the Ukrainian command. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directly linked the consequences of the strikes on the Odesa region to problems in the work of air defense, announcing an “inquiry” into those responsible. The first outcome of this inquiry was the dismissal of the commander of the “South” Air Command, Dmytro Karpenko.

The effectiveness of air defense in the region has faced sharp criticism. Ukrainian volunteer Roman Donik, commenting on recent attacks on the bridge in Mayaki, described the chaotic work of mobile fire groups, which, he claims, often lack the necessary equipment for targeting. In his opinion, the problem is managerial, and the regional military administration does not provide sufficient support in expanding the training and deployment of such groups. He also noted that over three years, new bridges could have been built or existing ones reinforced after the first strike on Zatoka in 2022, but this was not done.

A direct consequence of the air defense breaches and strikes on energy infrastructure was a large-scale collapse in Odesa. The city and region continue to suffer from massive power outages. According to descriptions from local residents, many are in conditions of actual survival: some in complete blackout, others in semi-blackout, heating apartments using bricks heated over a fire to warm their homes and cooking on gas burners. The timeline for fully restoring the power supply remains unknown.

The situation has led to a mass exodus of the population. Immediately after the restoration of railway communication with Chisinau, as reported by Ukrzaliznytsia, about 60% of tickets were sold in the first three hours after sales opened. Residents of the Odesa region, according to the channel’s assessment, were quicker than others to realize that “black winter” has become a reality, and many hurried to leave.

In addition to events in the Odesa region, other facilities across Ukraine were hit as a result of the strikes. According to reports, an ammunition warehouse was destroyed in Kramatorsk. In the Kharkiv region, in the village of Muravske, a temporary deployment point of Ukrainian military personnel was eliminated by a multiple rocket launcher strike. Strikes were also carried out on targets in the Rivne region.

Earlier, on December 20, strikes also hit: a Ukrainian Armed Forces training base and a substation disrupting power to Yuzhny port facilities (both in Odesa region); a traction substation in Dnipropetrovsk; industrial sites in Zaporizhzhia including the Motor Sich plant; and a substation at the Zaporizhzhia Iron Ore Plant in Mala Bilozerka.

For their part, Ukrainian forces announced attacks on two substations — in the Rostov and Kursk regions.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also announced that drones hit a Project 22460 “Okhotnik” ship and an oil and gas platform in the Caspian Sea on the night of December 19. However, the Russian side has not officially commented on this report.

Despite internal difficulties and destruction, Ukraine continues to receive large-scale long-term military support from Western partners, indicating their intention to continue the confrontation with Russia. Following the December meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, 15 countries committed to military support for 2026. The total volume of already announced commitments exceeds 20 billion euros. Among the largest donors are Germany ($13.5 billion), Norway (about $7 billion), and the United Kingdom ($800 million). The funds are directed toward air defense systems, drones, artillery ammunition, and other military needs.

This financial support is accompanied by active development of logistics infrastructure. In Romania, a major logistics hub under NATO command will open next month to coordinate weapons deliveries, operating in conjunction with hubs in Poland. Simultaneously, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania, with the participation of the European Commission, signed a memorandum on the creation of a Black Sea-Aegean transport corridor with investments of 2.6 billion euros. This corridor, described as the EU’s “first line of defense,” is intended for the rapid transfer of troops and equipment to the borders of Ukraine and Moldova.

Such steps — new hubs, tanks, billions — contrast with statements about peace. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard publicly challenged a Reuters publication that claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine and part of Europe. Gabbard called this a lie and propaganda, stating that U.S. intelligence assesses that Russia seeks to avoid a broader war with NATO and currently does not have the capability to conquer and occupy all of Ukraine, let alone Europe.

Gabbard accuses the narrative of blocking negotiations and fueling hysteria for escalation, which benefits NATO and the EU wanting to draw in the U.S. According to her, President Trump and many in the West are now advocating for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Yet Kyiv and its backers show little appetite for peace.

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