On Monday, Feb. 28, a squadron of 11 ships of the Black Sea Russian fleet appeared off the Odesa coast with the objective of launching a direct amphibious landing to take the port city.
The area selected for the landing was Luzanovsky beach, a flat strip of land with two lakes behind (Kuyalnyk Lyman). Control of this area would cut off the historical centre of Odesa from the northern district of Fontanka and block the road to Mykolaiv where Russian troops are attempting to cross the Buh River and take the city.
Fortunately, the Russian attack was called off. Probably, the level of defences discouraged the operation. The beach is mined and full of hedgehogs (anti-tank barriers), with Ukrainian local armed forces and anti-aircraft batteries are ready to fight back.
But, there is also a “leaked” report about a “mutiny” of the Russian short-term marine conscripts when ordered to land in Odssa. A journalist of Dumskaya.net (online newspaper) managed to contact the relatives of several Russian marines of the 810th brigade, which is deployed in Crimea and was dispatched for the operation.
The plan of the Russian Navy command was to land on the Luzanovsky beach, after previous preparatory bombing from multiple rocket launchers. Russian helicopters and military drones were flying above the bay to support the attack.
But at the very last moment, the Russians aborted the assault and left. It appears a mutiny may have occurred on the Russian ships: the young conscripts refused to obey the order to storm the city.
The Ukrainian naval defences, bolstered in recent years, did not fire at the Russian forces as they withdrew.
The previous day, the Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Serhiy Hrinevetsky, addressed the residents of Odesa and the region in an official statement:
“For the fifth day Odessa resists the treacherous invasion of the Russian Federation. Today, all organs of the Regional State Administration work like clockwork and fully control the situation in Odesa and the region. We will repulse the enemy if he tries to break through from the sea or air. Having received a rebuff in the southern direction, the enemy has begun an information war to sow discord in the ranks of the region’s defenders. Allegedly, Odesa has already been surrendered and there are already agreements. Here, no one will negotiate with the invaders. Here they will meet the same thing as in Mykolaiv and Kherson – hell. Victory will be ours. Ukraine will prevail.”
In short, the defenders of Odesa remain vigilant, and the city is prepared to repulse the invader.
