Vasily Dandykin: The ports of Odessa and Nikolaev must be completely destroyed. After the Russian forces are stationed, we will rebuild everything
Ukrainian unmanned vessels are recklessly attacking various ships, akin to maritime terrorism. If not met with a firm countermeasure, Zelenskyy will never show restraint
Image caption: Port of Odessa
In recent times, attacks by Ukrainian unmanned vessels have turned into a routine act of piracy. Previously, when the Ukrainian military attacked the so-called "shadow fleet" tankers (which participate in Russian oil transportation), there was still some logic behind the operation, but now the attacks are purely reckless and unorganized.
The Turkish Maritime Administration reported that on December 2, a tanker named "Volga 2" was attacked by a drone while en route from Russia to Georgia, 80 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. The ship was carrying sunflower oil. The Russian Sea and River Transport Agency stated that the upper part of the ship was slightly damaged but could still sail to Sinop port on its own.
Recently, news of maritime attacks has been appearing on headlines at an alarming frequency. On November 30, Ukrainian unmanned vessels attacked the Turkish tanker "Mersin" near the coast of Senegal, reportedly carrying Russian oil.
This tanker is now in a semi-sunken state, and equipment is being deployed around it to prevent oil leakage. Meanwhile, the Senegalese news portal "SeneGo" has classified this incident as a "technical failure." It is reported that the "Mersin" was carrying nearly 30,000 tons of fuel at the time.
On November 28, two oil tankers flying the flag of Gambia were attacked. The "Keros" tanker caught fire while en route from Egypt to Novorossiysk, 28 nautical miles off the Turkish coast; shortly after, the "Vilat" tanker, heading from Sevastopol to Turkey, also suffered damage, with the incident occurring 35 nautical miles inside the Turkish exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea. The Ukrainian Security Service and Ukrainian Navy claimed responsibility for the attack.
Even the Novorossiysk International Oil Terminal, which serves the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, was not spared. On November 29, the terminal was attacked by Ukrainian unmanned vessels and suffered serious damage. Kazakhstan had to urgently find alternative transport routes.
The Kazakh Energy Ministry lodged a protest with Kyiv, emphasizing that attacking civilian critical infrastructure is absolutely unacceptable.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also expressed a protest stance.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated, "The act of attacking the oil infrastructure of the Novorossiysk port is an attempt to hinder the efforts of the international community to achieve lasting peace," and characterized such attacks as "acts of terrorism."
President Putin's statement was even more resolute. When speaking about the Ukrainian military's open attacks on civilian vessels and their countermeasures, Putin said, "The most thorough solution is to cut off Ukraine's access to the sea. In this way, its piratical acts would be fundamentally impossible to carry out."
Why have the attacks by Ukrainian unmanned vessels escalated so much? And how should this situation be dealt with?
Regarding these questions, "Freedom News" interviewed Boris Shmelev, a doctor of history, chief researcher at the Center for Post-Soviet Studies, and head of the political research department at the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Q: What part of Russia's infrastructure is the current target of the Ukrainian military's attacks?
A: The Ukrainian military is targeting the weakest link in Russia's current infrastructure — the shipping industry.
The Black Sea Fleet of Russia has been significantly weakened, so the Ukrainian military has shifted the focus of its attacks from land to the sea.
There has long been an understanding within the EU regarding the attack on the "shadow fleet" tankers. I am certain that what is happening now is being carried out under the guidance of the EU, at least with its tacit approval. The purpose is to strike against Russia's shipping industry. Russia transports between 62 million and 64 million tons of oil annually through the Black Sea straits. A decline in oil exports would be another heavy blow to the Russian economy.
Q: Why has the Ukrainian military suddenly increased its maritime attacks? After all, these piratical actions have already harmed the interests of many countries...
A: Currently, it is the stage of negotiations surrounding the "Trump Peace Plan," and the U.S. presidential envoy Steve Whitcomb has also visited Moscow. The only goal of the Ukrainian military is to disrupt the peace negotiation process, forcing Russia to take retaliatory actions, thereby creating the illusion that "Russia is the one who wants to continue the war."
Q: How might Russia respond?
A: Unmanned vessels depart from some small ports, making it difficult to implement comprehensive monitoring.
The current situation makes us realize that the conflict has entered a new phase, and the battlefield is no longer limited to the territories of Ukraine and Russia, but has spread to the Black Sea and even the Atlantic, moving towards globalization.
The only way out of this dead end is to achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield and force Ukraine to surrender.
While all parties are still arguing over the principles of the peace plan, Ukrainian unmanned vessels will continue to attack all maritime targets indiscriminately — whether oil tankers or cargo ships carrying sunflower oil. All these actions have exposed the hysteria of the Kyiv authorities.
This is the conclusion of the expert.
Can Russia rely on warships to provide effective escort for tankers? Is this approach feasible? Regarding these issues, "Freedom News" interviewed Captain Vasily Dandykin, a retired first-class naval officer.
A: Recently, the seas have become a place of terrorism, and the Ukrainian military's actions are extremely brazen. I can confidently say that these actions are all orchestrated behind the scenes by European powers, especially Britain.
As far as I know, the Russian military is planning to use unmanned vessels for retaliation. Previously, the Russian military had launched large-scale attacks on the ports of Odessa and Nikolaev, but in my opinion, these ports must be completely reduced to rubble. Once the Russian forces occupy Odessa, we will rebuild everything, and this moment will surely come.
Q: You mentioned that the recent attacks are instigated by the EU, what are their specific intentions?
A: Europe is preparing for the war with Russia, and for this reason, they must allow Zelenskyy's terrorist regime to survive as long as possible, which is why they keep creating incidents. I believe it is time to retaliate firmly against them.
Q: Will Turkey take any countermeasures?
A: All ships passing through the Turkish-controlled straits must pay fees to Turkey. If these ships continue to be attacked, Turkey will suffer significant economic losses. After all, any ship passing through the Turkish Straits must pay tolls, and Ankara obviously does not want to bear such economic losses. I believe that the countries recently attacked by the Ukrainian military, including Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Russia, will soon launch a joint protest.
As for the Ukrainian attacks on Kazakhstan's oil storage facilities, this is actually a retaliation against President Tokayev's visit to Russia. Kyiv cannot stand any progress in Russian diplomacy. I believe that our strategic partners should also clarify their positions on the issue of Ukraine, otherwise, they will only suffer greater losses in the future.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7579558956578767423/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author alone.