Russia admitted Sunday (24th) that the day before it destroyed military infrastructure at the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine, a vital area for the flow of grain exports from the country.
The offensive, carried out less than 24 days after the two countries signed an agreement allowing Ukrainian agricultural products, sparked outrage from the government in Kyiv and its allies.
Shortly after the attack, Russia said it had nothing to do with the action, according to Turkey, which brokered the signing of the pact with the UN. Now Moscow admits it was responsible for the damage, but says it only involved military installations, not structures linked to grain exports.
Speaking to Telegram on Sunday, Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kalibr missiles destroyed a warship and weapons depots in a “highprecision strike.”
Out there
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the rocket attacks on the port city “Russian barbarism,” jeopardizing the deal that, if upheld, could ease the world food crisis. For the leader of the nowoccupied country, the offensive shows that Moscow’s ability to deliver on its promises is untrustworthy and that dialogue with the Kremlin is becoming increasingly untenable.
Although the president’s economic adviser Oleh Ustenko warned that Moscow’s actions on Saturday indicate the pact will not work as expected, according to the country’s infrastructure minister, Ukraine has pledged to continue technical preparations to conduct exports .
In the deal, negotiated under the eyes of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, Odessa is one of three ports allowed to transport Ukrainian exports.
Ukrainian officials said grain was in the port at the time of the attack, although the warehouses were not affected, according to the Ukrainian army. According to the Odessa regional governor, the bombing left “several wounded” without giving numbers or the severity of the injuries.
Guterres condemned the attack “unequivocally”. European Union (EU) diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said the offensive showed “Russia’s total disregard for international law and obligations.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the same line: “The action raises serious doubts about the credibility of Russia’s commitment to the right deal.”
The deal sealed in Turkey was the first major deal between the two warring factions since the Russian invasion began on February 24 and was eagerly awaited as it can help ease the world’s food crisis, particularly in poor countries. According to the UN, 47 million people were added to the group of starving people as a result of the war.
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Before signing, Ukraine had warned that it would issue an “immediate military response” if Russia violated the pact and attacked its ships or ports. Zelenski says the UN must monitor compliance with the treaty, which includes passage of boats through secure corridors to avoid installing mines in the Black Sea.
Up to 20 million tons of wheat and other grains are blocked in Ukraine, mainly in Odessa, by Russian warships and by mines laid by Kyiv to prevent an amphibious assault. The Ukrainian leader estimates the value of the detained beans at around $10 million.
In addition to the offensive in the southern port city, the pact did not prevent further bomb attacks on the front at the weekend, the Ukrainian Council Presidency announced on Sunday. According to reports, four cruise missiles hit residential areas of Mikolayiv on Saturday, injuring five people.
As the war enters its sixth month on Sunday, other signs show the conflict is far from over. The Ukrainian army reported shelling in the north, south and east of the country, reiterating that Moscow forces are paving the way for an attack on Bakhmut in the Donbass region.
The intensification of the Russian offensive prompted the mayor of Kharkiv to urge residents of Ukraine’s secondlargest city to prefer the metro to travel. “The last week has shown that the attacker has stopped even pretending to attack military targets,” wrote Ihor Terekhov on Telegram. “Use the subway more often, it’s the safest way to get around these days.”