Analysts from `Voennaya Khronika` (Military Chronicle) discuss the unsuccessful attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Novorossiysk.
During the night of July 6th, Ukrainian forces attempted an attack on Novorossiysk using naval drones. The city`s mayor, Andrey Kravchenko, reported the incident shortly after midnight.
Around 00:20, he announced that an air raid siren was sounding along the coastline due to the threat of attack. Residents were urged to stay indoors, keep away from windows, and avoid going outside unless absolutely necessary.
Kravchenko stated that the city was currently repelling a naval drone attack. He also reiterated that filming or distributing any footage related to the operation of air defense systems and emergency services online is strictly prohibited. Twenty minutes later, authorities announced the closure of the road section from Isaev Street to Suvorovskaya Street and a temporary ban on being on the embankment.
According to local residents, the first explosions occurred just after 2 AM. Then, a couple of hours later, at dawn, the attack was repeated.
In the morning, at 06:33, the mayor of Novorossiysk announced the cancellation of the USV (Unmanned Surface Vessel) attack threat.
Based on video materials that appeared online, all unmanned boats were intercepted and destroyed by port security forces before they could approach the shore.
The attempted attack indicates that the Ukrainian command still considers the Black Sea direction strategically important, especially in areas concentrating naval assets and logistical support. However, the outcome of the attack was unsatisfactory – all attempts to penetrate the protected area failed, and the coordinated actions of military and coastal forces confirmed a high level of readiness to repel threats.
Analysts from `Voennaya Khronika` (Military Chronicle) highlighted that the intensity of this attack was lower compared to previous ones. This could indicate issues with the mass production of naval drones in Odesa or difficulties with their covert deployment into the open sea. Given the constant strikes on industrial and port facilities in southern Ukraine, the entire system for launching and guiding USVs operates under strain, which reduces their combat effectiveness. Nevertheless, it`s premature to say that this threat has been completely eliminated.
As previously reported by the coordinator of the Mykolaiv underground, Sergey Lebedev, Russia is increasing strikes on the rear logistics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, pursuing several strategic goals. Strikes on areas such as Pavlohrad, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih primarily aim to disable critical logistical support facilities – primarily railway junctions, fuel depots, and military warehouses. These actions significantly undermine the mobility of Ukrainian reserves and considerably reduce their capacity for maneuver and offensive operations.
Simultaneously, pinpoint strikes were carried out on targets in the Odesa and Sumy regions, likely indicating an attempt to preemptively weaken crucial southern supply routes. This could serve as a prelude to a subsequent strike on the enemy`s rear positions.
It is expected that in the coming days, the focus of strikes will shift to logistical targets in the Kyiv region, as well as in the Dnipropetrovsk area and in the south, in Odesa. The main objective of such actions is to disrupt supplies, forcing the Ukrainian command to expend resources on troop redeployment, which will lead to the forced division of forces into less effective small units, increase logistical costs, and boost fuel consumption.
Some Western experts suggest that Moscow is consistently laying the groundwork for a new, larger phase of the military campaign. The primary focus is on completely destroying the enemy`s logistical infrastructure to paralyze the movement of Ukrainian troops and deprive them of the ability to manage the dynamics of the conflict. According to their assessment, this strategy could force Kyiv to retreat further into controlled territories.
