Warehouses, grain silos damaged in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine’s Danube port
Russian airstrikes on southern Ukraine overnight damaged grain silos and warehouses at one of the Danube River ports, a key facility for grains shipments, the governor of the Odesa region on the Black Sea said on Wednesday. “Russian terrorists attacked Odesa region twice last night with attack drones,” Governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app. “The main target is port and grain infrastructure in the south of the region.” Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Russia. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Ukraine’s Air Force said that it had destroyed 13 Russia-launched drones over the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south. It was not immediately clear how many drones Russia launched. Ukraine’s Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in July The ports have since become the main route out, with grain sent on barges to Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta for shipment onwards. Earlier this month, Russia attacked Izmail – Ukraine’s main inland port across the Danube River from Romania, sending global food prices higher as it ramped up its use of force to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain. The drone attacks destroyed buildings in the port and halted ships as they prepared to arrive there to load with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto blockade Russia reimposed in mid-July.