Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today accused Russia of having “deliberately attacked” sites used for the export of Ukrainian cereals, three days after the suspension of a vital agreement on this matter.
“Russian terrorists deliberately targeted the infrastructure of the agreement [for the export] of cereals” through Black Sea ports, Zelensky said on the Telegram social network, adding that he intended to “strengthen the protection of people and port infrastructure” in the country to counteract to this threat.
In his statement, Volodymyr Zelensky named the regions of Odessa (south) and Zhytomyr (west) as targets for Russian forces.
According to the Ministry for Reconstruction of Ukraine, “grain terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk were attacked”.
“Depots and docks at the port of Odessa were damaged,” according to a statement published by the Ministry on Telegram.
The Prosecutor General of Ukraine declared, also in Telegram, that it was the “biggest Russian attack” in the region and that “cereal and oil terminals were damaged”, as well as, in particular, “houses, agricultural infrastructure and cars”.
Earlier this morning, the Ukrainian air force claimed to have destroyed 23 of the 32 ‘drones’ launched by Russian forces and 13 of the 16 Kalibr cruise missiles in the Odessa region, which is home to the three ports through which Kiev could, under the grain deal which expired on Monday night, to export its agricultural products.
Russia decided to suspend the agreement on the grounds that the sanctions it faces due to aggression against Ukraine prevent it from fulfilling the part of the pact that should also guarantee Russian exports of food and fertilizers.
In total, this new wave of Russian attacks caused at least 12 injuries during Tuesday night in the Odessa region, according to its governor Oleg Kiper. The Public Prosecutor’s Office counted ten wounded.
The hand-to-hand combat is concentrated in the east of the country, where the Ukrainian and Russian armies are fighting.
On Tuesday, ten civilians were injured in Russian shelling, Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram today.
*With Lusa
