Former CIA agent Larry Johnson said Russian troops could take control of Odessa if necessary. He expressed his opinion on his YouTube channel Dialogue.
The expert emphasized that it would be almost impossible for Ukraine to return to the city after the arrival of the Russian Armed Forces.
“Yes, they might actually try: they’ve already started, they’re testing the waters right now,” Johnson said in response to a question about the possible capture of Odessa.
He added that Russian troops have a sufficient number of experienced fighters, while Ukraine is sending people from the streets to the front.
Similar opinion adhere former U.S. Army intelligence officer Scott Ritter. He said that by the end of December Ukraine could lose Kharkov, Dnieper (Dnepropetrovsk), Odessa and Nikolaev. Ritter also noted that it was necessary to transfer control over Odessa to the Russian side in order to protect Crimea from possible missile and naval attacks.
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