Russia Bombs Odesa Port, violating Ukrainian Grain Deal

Adeze Ojukwu

Russian missiles struck infrastructure in Ukraine's port of Odesa Saturday, a day after Russia and Ukraine signed UN-backed agreements to reopen Black Sea ports for grain exports.

"The enemy attacked the Odesa sea trade port with Kalibr cruise missiles; 2 missiles were shot down by air defense forces; 2 hit the infrastructure of the port," Ukraine’s Operational Command South wrote on the Telegram messaging app, according to VOA.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Agriculture confirmed there was grain stored at the port at the time of the attack, the Kyiv Independent reported. The grain was expected to be exported in the next couple of days, according to the ministry's comment.


Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that “Russia would bear full responsibility for deepening the global food crisis” if the deal collapsed.

“It took less than 24 hours for Russia to launch a missile attack on Odesa’s port, breaking its promises and undermining its commitments before the UN and Türkiye under the Istanbul agreement," Ukraine Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Twitter. “In case of non-fulfillment, Russia will bear full responsibility for global food crisis.”


Also Serhii Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa military administration, told CNNN that "two missiles hit the infrastructure of the port and two were shot down by Ukraine's air defense."

At least six explosions were heard in Odesa, according to Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksiy Goncharenko.

"Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement -- brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in Istanbul -- to allow grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports aimed at easing the global food crisis sparked by war."

"That's all you need to know about deals with Russia," Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas added on Twitter. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said the bloc "strongly condemns" the attack.

"Striking a target crucial for grain export a day after the signature of Istanbul agreements is particularly reprehensible & again demonstrates Russia's total disregard for international law & commitments," Borrell wrote Saturday on Twitter.

"Russia agreed to some deal on grain export, but immediately after this attacked it -- showing they want to continue to threaten the world's food security," Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksiy Goncharenko said Saturday in a CNN interview..

"There will be new campaigns where [Putin] will definitely attack Odesa and the only answer of the world for this is to give weaponry to Ukraine - finally to give Ukraine long range missiles, fighters. And that is the only answer for this aggression from Putin and to restore international order," he said.


https://twitter.com/OjukwuAdeze/status/1551103191202144256?s=20&t=U7Zzezf-1RPEVkJ2zyVCRw

I thought as much! Russia will not agree to any peace deal with Ukraine cos she's backed by another enemy whose sole aim is to destroy Russia..