Although the three Ukrainian ports in Odesa region still experience Russian missile and drone strikes, they’re visited by about 200 cargo ships a month, said Andrii Klymenko, head of the monitoring group on the situation in the Black Sea region with the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies.
“Ukraine managed to create a complex system of cargo ship protection from all kinds of threats on the sea route from the territorial waters of Romania to the Odesa region,” Klymenko said. “I call it a tunnel.”
Ukraine hasn’t gone into details about its strategy, but the system includes defense from air attacks, protection from sea mines and joint work by coastal artillery, the air force and other units, Klymenko said.
A crucial factor were the sea drones used against the Russian fleet.
“As of today, Ukraine’s marine drones are not only kamikaze boats, but also platforms that can carry machine guns, rocket launchers and FPV drones,” Ihor Fedirko, CEO of Ukraine’s Council of Defence Industry, told POLITICO.
The drones have also shot down Russian helicopters and jet fighters.