The attacks this Saturday against the commercial port of Odessa, key for the export of Ukrainian cerealsraised the protests in kyiv and the condemnation of the international community, including the UN, guarantor of the agreement reached just 24 hours earlier in Istanbul.
After denouncing several missile attacks, kyiv accused Moscow of having “spit” in the face of the UN and Turkey, and of undermining the agreement aimed at enabling grain exports through the Black Sea and alleviating grain shortages around the world.
Russia must assume “all responsibility” if that agreement is broken, said a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, according to the Ukrinform portal, to recall the role of supervisors of the agreement of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and the Turkish president. Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“It is an attack by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin on UN Secretary General António Guterresand Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” according to a statement issued by Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
Russia is “undermining” the agreement, aimed at establishing corridors for the export of cereals from the Black Sea, said the adviser to Ukrainian President Volodímir Zelenski, Andriy Yermak, through his Telegram account.
Guterres himself then condemned “unequivocally” the Russian attacks perpetrated against Odessa, through a message on the social network Twitter from the deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Farhan Haq.
In that message it is recalled that “yesterday, all parties made clear commitments to ensure the safe movement of Ukrainian grain and related products“.
“These products are needed desperately trying to tackle the global food crisis and relieve the suffering of millions of people in need around the world. Full implementation by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey is imperative.”
The reactions of rejection also extended to the diplomacy of the United States, whose ambassador in kyiv, Bridged Brink, recalled through Twitter that the agreement on cereals has not been signed for even 24 hours and that Russia should be held accountable for what happened.
On behalf of the European Union (EU), the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, “firmly” condemned the attack this Saturday and criticized Moscow for its aggression against a “crucial” objective for exporting grain.
“Achieving a crucial objective for the export of grain after the signing of the Istanbul agreements is particularly reprehensible,” Borrell wrote on his Twitter profile, adding that the attack also “redemonstrates Russia’s total disregard for the Law and international commitments”.
According to sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, quoted by Ukrinform, in the port of Odessa there are stored grains ready for exportalthough its volume is not specified.
“We are not going to detail that cargo, because it is the responsibility of the Infrastructure department. But the first shipments are being prepared for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” according to that medium.
Ukrainian authorities previously reported this Saturday of a series of Russian attacks on the commercial port of Odessa.
“The enemy attacked the commercial sea port with Kalibr-class cruise missiles. Two missiles were shot down by the Ukrainian defenses, while two hit the infrastructure of the port,” Ukrainian sources reported from Odessa.
In that first statement, the key role of that port for the export of cereals was already recalled, as well as the agreement reached in Istanbul with Russia in this area.
This agreement, sponsored by Turkey and the United Nations, contemplates a maritime corridor for alleviate the food crisis caused by the Russian blockade to Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
Specifically, it will allow cargo ships to export from three Ukrainian ports – Odessa, along with Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk – around 22 million tons of wheat, corn and other grains stored in silos.
The agreement was signed in Turkey, separately and with two signatures in parallel, by the Russian Defense Minister, Serguei Shoigu, and the Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov.