AMN/ WEB DESK
Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s southern port of Odesa on Saturday morning, the Ukrainian military said. It has threatened a landmark deal signed between the two nations just the day before to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war. The deal signed on Friday by Moscow and Kyiv and mediated by the United Nations and Turkey was hailed as a breakthrough after nearly five months of Russian military action in Ukraine. Under the terms of Friday’s deal, Russia agreed not to target ports while grain shipments are in transit.
The deal is seen as crucial to curbing soaring global food prices by allowing grain exports to be shipped from Black Sea ports including Odesa. U.N. officials had said on Friday they hoped the agreement would be operational in a few weeks but it was not yet clear if that would still be possible given Saturday’s strikes.
Two Russian Kalibr missiles hit infrastructure at the Odesa port, while another two were shot down by air defence forces, Ukraine’s Operational Command South wrote on the Telegram messaging app. It is unclear whether there were casualties or substantial damage.
A Russian Defence Ministry statement on Saturday outlining progress in the war did not mention any strike in Odesa. The Ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “unequivocally condemned” the reported strikes, a spokesperson said, adding that all parties had committed to the grain export deal. Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement that these products are desperately needed to address the global food crisis and ease the suffering of millions of people in need around the globe. He said full implementation by the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey is imperative. On Friday, Guterres had called the deal “a beacon on the Black Sea”.