Russian drones hit Ukraine’s grain exporting port, damage infrastructure

Europe, News September 6, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Russia conducted a drone attack on a Ukrainian grain exporting port located in the Odesa region on the Danube River. Ukrainian officials said that the attacks caused infrastructural damage and at least two people were injured.

Without giving many details about the drone attack, Ukrainian air force officials said that Russian forces used more than two dozen Iranian-made self-destructing drones to carry out the attacks. The air defense systems detected 22 to 25 Kamikaze drones.

Officials did not give details of which port facility was hit but some Ukrainian media reported blasts in the Reni port, which along with Izmail is one of Ukraine’s two major ports on the Danube. The military said a fire that resulted from the attack at the facility was quickly extinguished.

“Russian terrorists continue to attack port infrastructure in the hope of provoking a food crisis and famine in the world,” the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said in a statement.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that a group of Russian drones successfully struck fuel depots at the Reni port used by the Ukrainian military.

The Danube River has become a major grain exporting route for Ukraine since July after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal that provided safe passage to the Ukrainian exporting ships. Kyiv has been using the Danube River route to export grains, oilseeds, and vegetable oils to the European markets.

Russian drones detonated at Danube port — *^{Firefighters at the scene after Russian drones detonated at the port facility near the Danube river, in Ukraine. (Image Credit: Twitter/@DefenceU)}*

According to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, the Russian drones also detonated on neighboring Romanian territory, however, Romania’s Ministry of Defense denied the reports. The Ministry stated that the Russian drones did not fall on Romanian territory during the attack on Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River.

Revival of Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI)

The drone attack on Odesa’s port took place only one day before Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Erdogan in the Russian city of Sochi, to discuss the possibilities of reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative. During the meeting, Putin restated his opposition to the grain deal, however, he acknowledged the possibility of reviving the deal.

The Russian government has also indicated that if its demands to improve grain and fertilizer exports were met it would consider resuming the agreement.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) was a one-year contract between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022. The deal expired on July 17, 2023. The BSGI agreement was reached to alleviate a global food crisis after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine are major suppliers of the World Food Program (WFP), which facilitates the availability of cheaper grains for developing countries. According to the European Commission, Ukraine alone accounts for 10% of the world wheat market, 15% of the corn market, and 13% of the barley market. It is also a key global player in the market of sunflower oil. A safe passage for grain exports during the war is essential to maintain the crucial supply of grains in underdeveloped countries.