Since Russia suspended its involvement in the Black Sea deal, it has ramped up attacks on Ukrainian agricultural and port infrastructure. The country launched yet another of such attacks on Wednesday, August 2, 2023.
Odesa’s regional governor, Oleh Kiper announced that port and grain storage facilities in the south of Odesa region were struck by Russian drones early on Wednesday.
Kiper noted that as a result of the attack, “fires broke out at the facilities of the port and industrial infrastructure of the region, and an elevator was damaged.”
He added that emergency services were on site and there were no reports of casualties.
Ukrainian media reported that the drones arrived from the Black Sea and then moved west along the Danube river towards Izmail, a key port from which Ukrainian grain is taken by barge to the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta for shipment onwards.
According to Ukraine’s defence ministry, a grain silo was also damaged in an attack on the Ukrainian port of Izmail, on the Danube river.
The ministry noted, “Another elevator in the port of Izmail, Odesa region, was damaged by Russians.”
Ukrainian grain has the potential to feed millions of people worldwide,” the ministry stressed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram and accused Russia of waging an attack on “global food security.”
“Unfortunately, there are damages. The most significant ones are in the south of the country. Russian terrorists have once again attacked ports, grain, global food security. The world must respond.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army South, noted in a video statement that “the enemy … is trying to destroy Ukrainian grain, attacking industrial and port infrastructure.”
“Russia is trying to cut Ukraine out of the future grain agreement and, most importantly, to strategically displace our country from the global food market,” Bratchuk added.
Also, Russia did not spare the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv in its rain of drones.
Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, disclosed that more than 10 Russian drones were intercepted during an attack on Kyiv at about 3am (00:00 GMT).
“Groups of drones entered Kyiv simultaneously from several directions. However, all air targets – more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – were detected and destroyed in time by the forces and means of air defence.”
Serhiy Popko
Serhiy Popko stated that Russia used a barrage of Iranian-made Shahed drones, with debris hitting several areas, including the busy Solomianskyi district, which hosts an international airport.
It was reported that in Holosiivskyi district, “parts of a drone fell on the playground” and a fire broke out in a non-residential building.
Yermak Calls For Tougher Sanctions To Be Imposed On Russia
In a post on the Telegram app, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak emphasized the need for tougher sanctions on Russia.
Yermak noted that Russians “do everything to circumvent sanctions and obtain components for the production of weapons.”
“They want to increase its quantity in order to kill people, destroy infrastructure, and cause famine in the countries of the Global South,” he added.
“It is possible to stop this with tougher sanctions, which will constantly increase and affect the military industry of the Russian Federation.
“Also, everyone can do more if they block the chains through which Russia receives sanctioned components.”
Andriy Yermak
“Every country can do more,” Yermak concluded.
Moreover, U.S Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, condemned Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s port and grain export infrastructure in a social media post.
“Homes. Ports. Grain silos. Historic buildings. Men. Women. Children. Round-the-clock and intensifying Russian strikes on Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson make it clear once again Russia has no desire for peace, no thought for civilian safety, and no regard for people around the world who rely on food from Ukraine.”
Bridget Brink
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