On the heels of Russia’s decision not to extend the Black Sea Grain Deal, Ukrainian reports show more Russian attacks, focused in on infrastructure and ports involved with ag exports.
Latifundist Media has partnered with us to provide boots-on-the-ground coverage:
On the nights of July 18 and 19, Russia continued its shelling of Ukrainian territory.
“Russia is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, residential areas, and our ports. Last night, Russian missiles were aimed at port infrastructure involved in the export of agricultural products.”
Terminals in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk were under attack. A significant part of the grain export infrastructure was put out of operation.
“This is a terrorist act not against Ukraine, but against the whole world. The food security of which is again in danger. If we cannot export food, the population of the poorest countries will be on the verge of survival! The price of grain will rise, and not all countries will be able to afford to buy agricultural products, which means that the price of food will rise significantly: flour, cereals, meat.” (Mykola Solskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine)
Experts estimate that full recovery will take at least a year. In the port of Chornomorsk, 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed, which was to be loaded and shipped via the grain corridor 60 days ago.
“The company’s grain handling facilities and grain stored in the port of Chornomorsk were severely damaged. Preliminary estimates suggest that it will take a considerable amount of time to return the assets back into operation,” Kernel says in a statement. The company’s assets were also hit.
“As a citizen and a person living in Ukraine, I expected missiles to hit the ports. After all, a terrorist state like Russia can do nothing but harm not just us, but the entire planet, because a large amount of food comes from Ukraine.”
The world is responding to the overnight attack on ports. According to Reuters, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that each missile fired by Russia at the Ukrainian port of Odesa is equal to launching a missile at starving people around the world.
During the briefing, the Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, reported that Moscow’s inhumane and unilateral decisions over the past 24 hours have already resulted in a surge in world prices for wheat, corn, and soybeans. Meanwhile, Russia keeps earning record profits from grain exports.
“It is clear that Russia continues to use food as a weapon of war. This time, the impact is not only on the people of Ukraine, but also on global food supply and prices. Sixty-five percent of these shipments have gone to some of the world’s most vulnerable countries and people. The world should not be fooled by Moscow’s latest lies. The impact of these actions is already being felt, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.”
Ukrainians are defending themselves from the enemy’s attacks in every possible way, and we urge the world to respond to Russia’s terrorist actions.
That report was powered by Latifundist Media, with USAID support provided through Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) Activity implemented in Ukraine by Chemonics International. For more information, visit their website or follow them on social media.
