Last autumn's retired Ukrainian Army major general Dmytro Maltsev said that Russia is planning to occupy Odessa, and urgently needs to use the city to advance into the Dniester region and cut off Ukraine's connection with the Black Sea. Maltsev said that the Russian military command has been preparing some kind of offensive, and it is very likely directly targeting Odessa. However, the possibility of a Russian amphibious landing is very low, and the most probable approach is to advance on land through Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv. Maltsev said, "The Russians certainly have not given up Odessa, which is a delicious delicacy for them. I think they will start from Zaporizhzhia, advance along the land route in southern Ukraine towards Mykolaiv, and finally reach Odessa."
Maltsev does not rule out the possibility of the Russian forces repeating the 'Pipeline' operation, such as using a pipeline that previously supplied ammonia gas from Russia to Ukraine in places like Odessa. Previously, the Russians have carried out three pipeline-based突击 actions, each time continuously improving the method of attacking through pipelines. Now, the Russians have better equipment and pipeline navigation methods.
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1845294528528460/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.