Updated 3 hours
image source, Archyde.com
Firefighters at the site of the missile attack in Odessa.
An agreement to resume Ukraine’s grain exports now hangs in the balance.
The cause: a missile attack on the port of Odessa hours after reaching the pact with Russia.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, this Saturday accused the Kremlin of “barbarity” and said it illustrates how the Russian government cannot be trusted to stick to the deal.
Moscow confirmed carrying out the attack but said it had targeted a naval vessel.
Ukrainian military officials acknowledged that one aircraft was hit but have not said whether it was a military or civilian aircraft.
Zelensky promised to do everything possible to acquire air defense systems capable of shooting down such missiles in the future.
Kyiv added that preparations to resume grain exports remain ongoing despite the apparent violation of the agreement.
Ukraine is a major grain exporter, but due to the war, about 20 million tons were trapped in its ports and they cannot leave because of the Russian forces.
This has led to food shortages and price spikes in Africa, which generally relies on Ukraine and Russia for wheat.
Under Friday’s deal, Russia pledged not to target ports while grain shipments were in transit.
But just hours after the agreement was signed, two Kalibr missiles hit the port of Odessa, according to the Ukrainian army’s southern command center. Two other missiles were shot down by air defense systems, he added.
The attack did not cause significant damage to the port, the command center said.
The incident was widely condemned. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of worsen a global food crisis and said the attack cast “serious doubt” on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to the pact.
“Russia must stop its aggression and fully implement the grain deal it agreed to,” he said on Saturday.
image source, Eyewitness/Twitter
Images of an eyewitness in the port.
The Turkish government, which negotiated the deal, said Russian officials denied responsibility.
“In our contact with Russia they told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and that they were examining the issue very closely and in detail,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
On Friday, Kyiv and Moscow officials signed an agreement to allow the export of millions of tons of grain trapped in Ukraine.
The deal was hailed as a “beacon of hope” by the UN after months of fighting.
It lasts 120 days, with a coordination and monitoring center to be established in Istanbul made up of UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials. It can be renewed if both parties agree.
international condemnation
The head of foreign affairs of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said that the attack on Odessa had shown the Russia’s “total disregard” for international law.
“Hitting a crucial grain export target a day after the signing of the Istanbul accords is particularly reprehensible,” he tweeted, adding that the EU “strongly condemns” the attack.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack and said full implementation of the grain deal was imperative.
Paul Adams, a BBC journalist in Kyiv, says it is tempting to see the attack on Odessa as an attempt to ruin the grain business.
But he adds that this appears to go against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s statement that Russia’s responsibilities were clearly established.
In the latest fighting on the ground, British defense officials said Russian troops in the Kherson region were at risk of Ukrainian forces cutting off their supply lines.
Ukrainian forces have used new missile systems long-range missiles supplied by the United States to target the Antonovsky Bridge at Jerson.
If the bridge were destroyed, the Russian supply lines would be severely compromised.
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