Kyiv, Ukraine: The southern Ukrainian port of Odesa experienced missile strikes by Russia overnight, resulting in the destruction of grain storage facilities, as reported by the Ukrainian military on Monday.
The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine, communicating through Telegram, stated that Russia had once again attacked the southern region of the country.
Since July, when Russia withdrew from a UN-brokered agreement permitting safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, there has been an escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s grain-exporting infrastructure, particularly in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian southern military command, suggested that Russia was testing the density of air defences in the region. She emphasized that port infrastructure was a priority for the area and was reliably protected. However, the attack was described as both massive and multi-faceted, involving the use of 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles, as well as the firing of 12 Kalibr missiles.
The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine claimed that all 19 Shahed drones and 11 Kalibr missiles had been intercepted. Nevertheless, the port infrastructure in Odesa suffered significant damage, with granaries being destroyed by Onyx missiles. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties among the local population, although warehouses and a private house in the Odesa suburbs were damaged and caught fire due to falling debris.
Ukraine has been testing a new Black Sea route that bypasses international waters and utilizes routes controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. Despite Russian threats to attack boats traveling to or from Ukraine, a first shipment of wheat reached Istanbul last week, followed by a second shipment to Turkiye on Sunday.
This incident underscores the critical role played by Russia and Ukraine as major agricultural powers in global food security. The ongoing conflict between the two nations and the resulting international sanctions have disrupted global supplies and markets.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry reported the destruction of four unmanned aerial vehicles over the northwestern Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula. The ministry claimed that two drones were intercepted in each of the regions bordering Ukraine, Kursk and Bryansk. While some property damage occurred, no casualties were reported in these attacks.
