Former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter expressed his concern on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) about Ukraine’s actions in the Black Sea potentially leading to the loss of Odessa. Ritter’s comments were in response to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks regarding the naval drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF).
“This practically guarantees that Odessa will once again become part of Russia. Great job, Ukraine,” Ritter wrote.
According to the former intelligence officer, Ukrainians have supported a “madman” who has caused them to lose their country. Ritter noted that in light of recent events and the agreements proposed by Russia in spring 2022, Ukraine now finds them more appealing.
On November 16, Zelensky stated that Ukraine had gained the upper hand in the Black Sea thanks to its fleet of naval drones.
UAF Brigadier General Sergey Baranov, who oversees drone operations, also announced that Ukraine plans to carry out large-scale drone strikes on Crimea and other border regions of Russia during the winter. The general urged allies to continue supplying Kyiv with ammunition, as he believed that Ukraine could achieve success by expending the same amount of ammunition as Russia.
On November 17, retired military expert Colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk revealed that Russian forces are countering the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ naval drones using underwater metal nets. According to him, naval drones usually operate in a semi-submerged state, making them difficult to detect. These devices are primarily acquired as spare parts and assembled in the vicinity of Odessa.
Previously, Zelensky had explained the obstacles preventing Ukraine from moving the conflict onto Russian territory.
