Ukraine accuses Russia of making an attempt to ‘provoke a food crisis’ after strikes on Odesa port

Ukrainian officers on Sunday accused Moscow of making an attempt to “provoke a food crisis” after Russian army strikes towards a key port in Ukraine’s Odesa area, a central hub for grain and different important meals exports.

The assaults on Ukraine’s Reni seaport noticed Russia reportedly launch at the very least 25 Iranian-made loitering drones on the facility alongside Ukraine’s Black Sea coast.

Ukrainian officers mentioned 22 of these drones have been shot down. Two individuals have been injured within the assault, which lasted greater than three hours, officers mentioned.

The Kremlin solid the assault as a reputable army transfer and mentioned the drones meant to take out “fuel storage facilities” in Odesa utilized by the Ukrainian army.

But Ukrainian leaders mentioned Russia had a distinct motivation. Andriy Yermak, chief of employees for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, mentioned the assaults have been a part of a a lot bigger Russian effort to “to provoke a food crisis and hunger in the world.”

Whatever the true motivations, the Russian assaults come at an important second. Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to satisfy Monday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to debate the potential of resuming grain and different meals shipments from Ukrainian ports.

Russia in July pulled out of the Black Sea grain settlement, a 2022 deal that allowed for the secure export of grain and different provides from Ukrainian ports amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Turkey performed a key function in brokering that deal, which helped stem main disruptions to the worldwide meals provide brought on by the battle.

Russia’s state-run TASS information company made no point out of the grain deal, or the affect on international meals provides, in its account of the Russian strikes on Odesa.