Ukraine accuses Russia of deliberately striking Odesa port, grain terminals
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A damaged building is seen during a Russian strike in Odesa on July 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KYIV - Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of intentionally striking grain terminals and infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa, with one official saying the main aim was to stop Kyiv from shipping grain from there.
Russia launched air attacks on Odesa for a second night in a row,
“Russian terrorists absolutely deliberately targeted the infrastructure of the grain deal,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.
“Every Russian missile – is a strike not only on Ukraine, but also on everyone in the world who wants a normal and safe life.”
The Black Sea grain deal, agreed on in July 2022, was intended to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Grain terminals and port infrastructure were attacked overnight in Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development said.
Grain infrastructure of international and Ukrainian traders and carriers such as Kernel, Viterra and CMA CGM Group suffered damage, it said.
The attack was “very powerful, truly massive”, Mr Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa military administration, said in a voice message on his Telegram channel on Wednesday. “It was a hellish night.”
Ukraine’s Air Force said 63 missiles and drones were launched across the country by Russia in the overnight attack, of which 37 were shot down – a lower proportion than usually reported after attacks over the past months.
Ukraine’s southern military command said Russia used supersonic missiles, including the Kh-22 that was designed to take out aircraft carriers, to strike Odesa’s port infrastructure.
“(The strike) hit a grain and oil terminal, damaged tanks and equipment for loading, a fire started, all relevant services are working to deal with the consequences,” the military said.
The attacks on Odesa followed a pledge of retaliation by Russia after a blast on a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula
Ukraine’s southern command said warehouses in Odesa storing tobacco and fireworks were also hit.
Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts on and off, starting soon after midnight on Wednesday, with Russia striking other places, including Kyiv, targeted with drones.
“A difficult night of air attacks for all of Ukraine, especially in the south, in Odesa,” Mr Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s city military administration, said on the Telegram channel.
“(They’re) are trying to scare the whole world, especially those who want to work for the grain corridor... Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations,” Mr Bratchuk, the military spokesman, said.
“But I think that all normal, rational people will look and say: Odesa was not afraid, is not afraid and will not be afraid – we will work.”
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attacks. Pro-Kremlin military bloggers said the strikes were “massive” and Moscow was using a combination of missiles and drones to attack Odesa and other regions.
At the United Nations on Tuesday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said there were a “number of ideas being floated” to help get Ukrainian and Russian grain and fertiliser to global markets.
Moscow’s decision raised concern primarily in Africa and Asia of rising food prices and hunger.
For Ukraine’s part, “we are fighting for global security and for our Ukrainian farmer” and working on options to keep commitments on food supply, Mr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Tuesday.
Moscow spurned calls from Ukraine to allow shipping to resume without Russian participation, with the Kremlin openly saying ships entering the area without its guarantees would be in danger.
“We’re talking about an area that’s close to a war zone,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Without the appropriate security guarantees, certain risks arise there. So if something is formalised without Russia, these risks should be taken into account.”
Russia says it could return to the grain deal, but only if its demands are met for rules to be eased for its own exports of food and fertiliser. Western countries call that an attempt to use leverage over food supplies to force a weakening in financial sanctions, which already allow Russia to sell food. REUTERS
