Russia attacked the Ukrainian port of Odesa with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles on Tuesday, a day after withdrawing from the grain deal. According to Ukrainian officials, Russia was attempting to resume the offensive in the east.
Moscow has blamed Ukrainian seaborne drones, which knocked out Russia’s road bridge to the occupied Crimean Peninsula. The attacks on Ukrainian ports came after Moscow threatened retaliation for Monday’s blasts.
The United Nations warned that the Russian withdrawal from the grain export deal, which had been in place for a year and had been brokered by the organization, could lead to widespread hunger.
Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential staff, stated on Telegram that Russia’s overnight attacks on Ukrainian ports were further evidence that the country-terrorist wants to endanger the lives of 400 million people in various countries that rely on Ukrainian food exports.
Odessa reportedly sustained damage from falling debris and blast waves, as well as unspecified port infrastructure, but Ukraine provided few details. Local authorities in another port, Mykolaiv, described a severe fire there.
Moscow asserted that it had thwarted a Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea, with no significant ground damage reported. It was reported that one traffic lane had reopened on the Crimea bridge.
