Odesa Is Defiant. It’s Also Putin’s Ultimate Target. Odesa Is Defiant. It’s Also Putin’s Ultimate Target. This most storied of ports remains the Russian leader’s obsession. Not only because it holds the key to the Black Sea. But because its openness and diversity embody all he wants to destroy. President Vladimir V. Putin knows that Ukraine’s fate, its access to the sea and its grain exports hinge on Odesa. Without it, the country shrivels to a landlocked rump state. By Roger Cohen Photographs by Laetitia Vancon Aug. 19, 2022 ODESA,Read More