Russian missiles hit the port of Odessa on Saturdayin southern Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military, threatening a historic deal signed just the day before to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports and alleviate global food shortages caused by the war.
The agreement signed on Friday by Moscow and kyiv, with the mediation of the United Nations and Turkey, was hailed as a breakthrough after almost five months of hard fighting since Russia invaded its neighbor. It is seen as crucial in curbing rising global food prices by allowing the export of grain from Black Sea ports, including Odessa.
UN officials had said on Friday they expected the deal to be operational within weeks, but it was not yet clear if that would be possible after Saturday’s attacks.
Two Russian Kalibr missiles impacted the infrastructure of the port of Odessawhile two others were shot down by air defense forces, Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
“In the context of what is currently happening with Ukrainian grain, the attack was carried out exactly where the grain is,” said Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force.
The cruise missiles were fired from warships in the Black Sea near Crimea, it added.
A statement from the Russian Defense Ministry describing the progress of the war makes no mention of any attack on Odessa. The ministry did not immediately respond to a Archyde.com request for comment.
The attack seemed violating the terms of the agreement on fridaywhich would allow safe passage in and out of Odessa and two other Ukrainian ports.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, condemned “unequivocally” reported attacks, a spokesman said, adding that all parties had agreed to the grain export deal.
“These products are desperately needed to tackle the global food crisis and alleviate the suffering of millions of people in need around the world,” spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement. “Full implementation by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey is imperative.”
On Friday, Guterres had called the deal “a lighthouse on the Black Sea.”