Russian strikes targeted the port of Odessa on Saturday, with Ukraine accusing Vladimir Putin of “spitting in the face” at the UN and Turkey and jeopardizing the application of the agreement signed the previous day on grain recovery blocked by the war.
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Odessa is the largest city and the most important port on the entire Black Sea coast, crucial for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports amid the threat of world famine.
By launching cruise missiles at the port of Odessa, the Russian president “spatted in the face UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep (Tayyip) Erdogan, who have made tremendous efforts to reach this deal,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said , Oleg Nikolenko .
Ukraine immediately warned that Russia would take “full responsibility” if the grain export deal failed.
A spokesman for the Odessa region administration Sergey Brachuk said that two of the cruise missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft guns.
Central Ukraine was not spared either after Russian attacks resumed on Saturday, killing three people after fighting, which was concentrated in the Donbass (east), paused.
Thirteen Russian cruise missiles launched from the sea fell near the town of Kropyvnytskyi in the Kirovograd region (centre), its governor Andriy Raikovych said.
He said railway infrastructure and a military airfield were attacked near the town of Kropyvnytskyi.
“Nine Ukrainian soldiers were injured and one soldier was killed,” he said.
These strikes come the day after the grain agreement, which the two warring parties initialed in two identical but separate texts, at the request of the Ukrainians, who have refused to sign with the Russians.
The African Union was “welcomed” by the deal on Saturday, hailing a “welcome development” for the continent, which faces an increased risk of hunger.
The agreement is expected to allow the export of 20-25 million tons of grain blocked in Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – two countries that primarily supply 30% of world wheat exports – has pushed up grain and oil prices and hit hard the African continent, which depends heavily on these countries for its supplies.
This price increase has worsened the situation of countries already facing a food crisis, particularly in the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti), which is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.
Wheat prices fell sharply in Chicago and on Euronext on Friday, returning to pre-war levels in response to the Ukraine deal.
The signing of this hard-negotiated text under the auspices of the United Nations and Ankara took place in Istanbul, notably in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President Erdogan.
The requirements for an application were met “in the coming days,” assured Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu shortly thereafter.
Washington, which supports Ukraine against Russian aggression, blames Moscow for the success of the operation. “It is now up to Russia to implement this agreement in concrete terms,” emphasized the number 3 in American diplomacy, Victoria Nuland.
Ukraine has shown itself to be prudent.
It is now “the responsibility of the UN” to ensure compliance with the agreement, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the evening and said he expected “provocations, attempts to discredit Ukrainian and international efforts”.
“The agreement is fully in Ukraine’s interests,” he said, adding that the Ukrainian military will continue to “control 100% of all approaches to the ports” that Russia originally requested demining.
The key measure stemming from the deal is the establishment of “safe corridors” to allow merchant ships to circulate in the Black Sea, which obliges Moscow and Kyiv “not to attack,” a United Nations official said.
It’s for “120 days,” the time to take out the roughly 25 million tons that have been piling up in Ukraine’s silos as a new harvest draws closer.
However, the negotiators gave up on clearing the Black Sea of mines – mainly laid by the Ukrainians to protect their shores. The UN said “Ukrainian pilots” would clear the way for cargo ships in territorial waters.
Russian-required inspections of ships leaving and heading to Ukraine to prevent them from being used to transport weapons will take place in the ports of Istanbul.
Hours before the signing, the Kremlin stressed that if Ukrainian grain is to reach world markets, it would also be necessary “to allow the markets to receive additional quantities of fertilizers and grain” from Russia, whose exports are being held back by Russia Western sanctions.
Additionally, on Friday, Washington announced a new $270 million tranche of military aid to Ukraine, including four new Himars precision artillery systems and up to 500 Phoenix Ghost suicide drones.