Russian cruise missiles have destroyed farm storage buildings in the Odesa region. Ukrainian officials said three missiles hit early Friday. The Kremlin’s forces are expanding their targets following three days of bombardment of the region’s Black Sea port infrastructure. Other Russian missiles also damaged what officials described as an “important infrastructure facility” southwest of the port of Odesa. It appeared to be part of an ongoing Kremlin effort to cripple Ukraine’s food exports after Moscow abandoned a wartime deal allowing the shipment of grain via the Black Sea. In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Western countries should address Russia’s demands to restore the Black Sea grain corridor.
Russia followed its withdrawal from a grain export deal by expanding its attacks from port infrastructure to farm storage buildings in Ukraine’s Odesa region Friday, while also practicing a Black Sea blockade.
Other Russian missiles damaged what officials described only as an “important infrastructure facility” southwest of the port city of Odesa, in what appeared to be an effort to cripple Ukraine’s food exports.
Attacks in recent days have put Odesa in Russia’s crosshairs after Moscow abandoned a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to send grain through the key Black Sea port.
In the attack on the storage site, two low-flying cruise missiles started a blaze, then another struck during firefighting efforts, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. The barrage injured two people, damaged equipment and destroyed 100 metric tons (110 tons) of peas and 20 metric tons (22 tons) of barley, Kiper said.
Russia targeted Ukrainian critical grain export infrastructure after vowing to retaliate for what it said was a Ukrainian attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
“The enemy is continuing terror, and it’s undoubtedly related to the grain deal,” said Natalia Humeniuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military’s Operational Command South.
