Explosions rock a Ukrainian port hours after a grain trade

A major Ukrainian port has been rocked by explosions just one day after Moscow and Kyiv signed a historic agreement to resume grain exports. Odesa was struck by two missiles early on Saturday morning, according to the Ukrainian military.

Russia pledged to refrain from attacking ports while grain supplies are in transit as part of the agreement reached on Friday. Josep Borrell, the head of the EU’s foreign policy, claimed that the attack demonstrated Russia’s “complete disdain” for international law.

He tweeted that the incident was “especially despicable” and that the EU “strongly condemns” it. The target was “critical for grain export,” he added.

Unanimously denouncing the assault, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasised the necessity of fully implementing the grain agreement reached by Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey.

A UN official further stated that “these products are vitally needed to solve the global food crisis and reduce the suffering of millions of people in need around the world.”

Ukraine’s air force chief blamed Russia and claimed that grain storage facilities at the port had been deliberately targeted.

Two Kalibr missiles struck the port, according to a statement on social media from the southern command centre of the Ukrainian military, while two more were shot down by air defence systems.

A local MP named Oleksiy Honcharenko reported on Telegram that the city’s port had taken fire following the hit.

The agreement, which took two months to finalise, will endure for 120 days, and a coordination and monitoring centre with workers from the UN, Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine will be set up in Istanbul. If both parties concur, it may be renewed.

British defence authorities claimed that in the most recent ground battles, Russian troops in the Kherson region ran the risk of being cut off from their supply lines by Ukrainian forces.

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