Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s Odesa, ‘Putin’s spit in the face’ for grain deal
- Ukraine says Russia attacked the port of Odesa on Saturday, despite export grain plan signed Friday to try to avert famine for millions around world
- Kyiv says that ‘if the reached agreement is not fulfilled, Russia will bear full responsibility for deepening the global food crisis’
A Ukrainian military spokesman said Saturday that Russian missile strikes had targeted grain processing facilities in Odesa the day after the warring parties agreed in a landmark deal – which it was hoped would avert famine for millions – to unblock exports from the southern port.
“The Odesa port was struck specifically where grain shipments were being processed. Two missiles hit exactly the port infrastructure where, obviously, there was grain,” said military spokesman Yuriy Ignat.
Nevertheless, Ukraine continued to prepare to restart grain exports from its Black Sea ports, said Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. “We continue technical preparations for the launch of exports of agricultural products from our ports,” Kubrakov wrote on Facebook.
The missile strike threatened the deal signed on Friday, just hours before, which would help ease global food shortages caused by the five-month war.
The agreement, signed by Moscow and Kyiv and mediated by the United Nations and Türkiye, would allow certain exports to be shipped from Ukrainian ports, including the hub of Odesa.
“The enemy attacked the Odesa sea trade port with Kalibr cruise missiles,” Ukraine’s Operational Command South wrote on the Telegram app. Two missiles hit port infrastructure, while another two were shot down by air defence forces, it said.
Ukraine said Russia would be responsible for any food crisis if the grain export deal collapsed after the strike.
“The Russian missile (strike) is (Russian President) Vladimir Putin’s spit in the face of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep (Tayyip) Erdogan, who made enormous efforts to reach the agreement,” said foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
“If the reached agreement is not fulfilled, Russia will bear full responsibility for deepening the global food crisis,” he added.
A blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia’s Black Sea fleet since Moscow’s February 24 invasion of its neighbour has trapped tens of millions of tonnes of grain and stranded many ships. This has worsened global supply chain bottlenecks and, along with Western sanctions on Russia, stoked food and energy price inflation.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called on the UN and Türkiye to ensure Russia allows free passage of grain while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “unequivocally condemns” the reported strikes, a UN spokesperson said, saying grains were “desperately needed to address the global food crisis and ease the suffering of millions of people in need around the globe”.
“Full implementation by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Türkiye is imperative.”
Ukraine asks citizens in key region to expose Russian troops
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday condemned the Odesa attack.
“This attack casts serious doubt on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to yesterday’s deal and undermines the work of the UN, Türkiye and Ukraine to get critical food to world markets,” Blinken said in a statement.
Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Friday’s export deal seeks to avert famine among tens of millions of people in poorer nations by injecting more wheat, sunflower oil, fertiliser and other products into world markets including for humanitarian needs, partly at lower prices.
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According to the deal, Ukrainian officials would guide ships through safe channels across mined waters to three ports, including Odesa, where they would be loaded with grain.
Moscow has denied responsibility for the supply crisis, blaming sanctions for slowing its own food and fertiliser exports and Ukraine for mining the approaches to its Black Sea ports.
Senior UN officials said on Friday that the deal was expected to be fully operational in a few weeks and would restore grain shipments from the three reopened ports to pre-war levels of 5 million tonnes a month.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine has about US$10 billion in grain, including 20 million tonnes from last year’s harvest, available to export.
On Saturday, before the reported strike, the African Union (AU) hailed the deal. Ukraine is a major source of grain for the continent.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat welcomes the signing by Russia and Ukraine of agreements,” a statement said, praising Senegalese leader and AU chair Macky Sall “for having called for the urgent need for the resumption of cereals from Ukraine and Russia to global markets as made to President Vladimir Putin during a joint AU mission to Sochi” in June.
Millions desperately need an end to Russia’s blockade of Ukraine grain
Meanwhile, three people were killed on Saturday when 13 Russian missiles hit a military airfield and railway infrastructure in Ukraine’s central Kirovohrad region, said local governor Andriy Raikovych.
Elsewhere, two US citizens recently died in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, a US State Department spokesperson said on Saturday, without disclosing further details.
The US administration was in touch with the families of the deceased and providing “all possible consular assistance,” the spokesperson said, but declined to say how recent were the deaths or their circumstances.
“Out of respect to the families during this difficult time, we have nothing further,” said the spokesperson, who was confirming an earlier CNN report.
The White House on Friday announced US$270 million in fresh support for Ukraine, saying it was doing preliminary work on whether to send fighter aircraft, although such a move would not happen in the near term.
