Russia admitted on Sunday (24) that the previous day it destroyed military infrastructure in the port of Odessa, in southern Ukraine, a vital area for the flow of grain exports from the country.
The offensive, carried out less than 24 days after the two countries signed an agreement to allow the passage of Ukrainian agricultural products, provoked outrage from the government in Kiev and its allies.
Shortly after the attack, Russia, according to Turkey, which brokered the signing of the pact with the UN, said it had nothing to do with the action. Now, Moscow admits to having been responsible for the damage, but says it only targeted military installations, not structures linked to grain exports.
On Telegram, Russian diplomacy spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday that Kalibr missiles had destroyed a warship and weapons depots in a “high-precision attack”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called the missile attacks on the port city “Russian barbarism”, jeopardizing the deal that, if maintained, could alleviate the world food crisis. For the leader of the country now invaded, the offensive demonstrates that Moscow’s ability to fulfill its promises cannot be trusted and that dialogue with the Kremlin is increasingly untenable.
In the agreement negotiated under the eyes of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General António Guterres, Odessa is one of three ports allowed to transport Ukraine’s exports.
Ukrainian officials said there was grain in the port at the time of the attack, although the warehouses, according to the Ukrainian army, were not affected. According to the regional governor of Odessa, the bombing left “several wounded”, without giving figures or the severity of the injuries.
Guterres “unequivocally” condemned the attack. European Union (EU) diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said the offensive shows “Russia’s total disregard for international law and commitments”. In the same vein, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “the action casts serious doubts on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to the right deal.”
The agreement sealed in Turkey was the first major deal struck by the two warring parties since the beginning of the Russian invasion, on February 24, and was eagerly awaited because it can help to mitigate the food crisis in the world, especially in poor countries. According to the UN, due to the war 47 million people were added to the group of people who suffer from hunger.
Before the signing, Ukraine warned that it would give an “immediate military response” if Russia violated the pact and attacked its ships or ports. Zelenski says the UN must monitor compliance with the treaty, which includes the transit of boats through safe corridors, to avoid mines installed in the Black Sea.
Up to 20 million tons of wheat and other grain are blocked in Ukraine, mainly in Odessa, by Russian warships and by mines that Kiev laid to prevent an amphibious attack. The Ukrainian leader estimates the value of the withheld beans to be around US$10 million.
In addition to the offensive in the southern port city, the pact also did not prevent other bombings on the front line over the weekend, the Ukrainian presidency said on Sunday. Four cruise missiles reportedly hit residential areas of Mikolaiv on Saturday, injuring five people.
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