Russia’s next step? Ukrainians brace for attack on Odesa
By YESICA FISCH and CARA ANNA Associated Press
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Updated:
ODESA, Ukraine (AP) — The Black Sea port of Odesa is mining its beaches and rushing to defend its cultural heritage from a feared Mariupol-style fate in the face of growing alarm that the strategic city might be next as Russia attempts to strip Ukraine of its coastline.
The multi-cultural jewel, dear to Ukrainian hearts and even Russian ones, would be a hugely strategic win for Russia. It is the country’s largest port, crucial to grain and other exports, and headquarters for the Ukrainian navy.
Bombardment from the sea last weekend further raised worries that the city is in Russia’s sights.
Residents say Russian President Vladimir Putin would be insane to take Odesa with the brutal approach that has left other Ukrainian cities in ruins. Once a gilded powerhouse of the Russian empire, Odesa includes one of the finest opera houses in Europe and the famed Potemkin Steps between the city and the sea, featured in Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film masterpiece “Battleship Potemkin.”
But after a month of grueling war, people say they can’t predict anything anymore. Read more about the situation here:
Petros Giannakouris
FIEL - An elderly woman walks pass concrete blocks topped with sandbags at a street in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - Volunteers load a vehicle with sandbags to defend the city, in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on March 23, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Max Pshybyshevsky
FILE - A man appears through shattered windows of a building after a shelling in Odesa, Ukraine, March 21, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Bombardment over the weekend led to fresh alarm. (AP Photo/Max Pshybyshevsky, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - Volunteers load a truck with potatoes in Odesa, on March 24, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - Anti- tank barricades are placed on a street as preparation for a possible Russian offensive, in Odesa, Ukraine, March 24, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - A Ukrainian soldier smokes as he and another soldier stand guard behind sandbags and in front of the National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet building, in Odesa, Ukraine, March 24, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - A woman reacts while a train leaves from the train station in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on March 23, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - A child waves through the window of a train as people step on at the train station in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - Volunteers at a beach fill sandbags to defend their city, in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on March 23, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - The monument of the Duke of Richelieu, is covered with sandbags next to a carousel, in Odesa, Ukraine, on March 24, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
Petros Giannakouris
FILE - People embark a train in Odesa, southern Ukraine, on March 23, 2022. The Black Sea port is mining its beaches and rushing to defend itself from a Mariupol-style fate. Some Western officials believe the city, which is dear to Ukrainians' hearts, could be next. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)
