The Russia camp talks about Odessa because Russia tried to take it in 2014 during the Crimean annexation and seizure of eastern Ukraine and failed. Afterwards Ukraine fortified the entire Odessa region.
Let's not forget the entire operation to capture Crimea and Eastern Ukraine was not a Ukrainian separatist movement as Russia claims. It was an entirely a Russia run and manned operation lead by FSB colonel Igor Girkin. Girkin was convicted for "promoting extremism", when his real crime was calling out the Russian government for its failures.
Russia wants Odessa to gain direct access to the Black Sea. It would take a major offensive to take it, on scale of the initial invasion to take Odessa. Instead of attacking, Russian propaganda acts like the might of the Russian army is, about it, can at will, etc. take it, or Ukraine is going to, about to, must, etc. surrender Odessa to Russia.
The facts are the Russia army has not made one move to advance on Odessa since the Kherson offensive. The only Russian offensive toward Odessa is in words, not action.
Hey, take it up with Musk or Ukrainska Pravda, they said it, not me.
Yes, it could have. But, the slow grind saves Russian lives.
And, that the Ukrainian defense lines are crumbling due to a shortage of manpower, the Russians are gaining ground daily with minimal causalities.
It should be obvious to anyone with functioning brain that Russians should take out the entire Ukrainian electric grid if they wanted to.