Russia launched a four-hour attack on Ukrainian ports in the Danube River.
The river is an important transport route in Europe and was intended to be used as a “back road” to export Ukrainian grain.
“I call on all nations, especially those in Africa and Asia most affected by rising food prices, to implement a united global action against food terrorism”, writes Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine.
The Russian attacks, which used drones sent by Iran, targeted grain reserves in Reni and Izmail in Odessa, Southwestern Ukraine.
For four hours, 15 drones carried out repeated attacks, according to Ukraine’s foreign minister, who also believes that Russia is holding 400 million people hostage when it stops grain exports.
“They are trying to force concessions by holding 400 million people hostage”
“Trying to starve the world”
The fact that Russia withdrew from the grain agreement and now carried out several attacks on grain reserves is seen as an attempt to “starve the world”. This was announced by Odessa’s governor in a televised interview.
– Russia is trying to block our grain exports completely and starve the world, says Oleh Kiper, governor, Odessa.
The drone attacks are the latest in a series of Russian attacks aimed at the infrastructure surrounding Ukraine’s exports. Since the Russian withdrawal from the grain agreement, daily attacks have been flirted with in Odessa.
A video published on Twitter shows powerful explosions that occurred in the port of Reni, just five kilometers from NATO country Romania.
The Russian blockade of exports by water means that transport must now be carried out overland through Moldova, where the EU wants to open up grain corridors.