Online Desk/

Russia has carried out drone attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odessa and grain warehouses.

Several structures caught fire in the early morning attack on Wednesday (August 2). Reuters news.

Oleh Kiper, the governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region, wrote on the messaging app Telegram that Russia carried out drone attacks on port and grain storage infrastructure south of Ukraine’s coastal Odesa region early Wednesday.

After the attack, several of these structures caught fire. He also said that no casualty was reported.

In February 2022, Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine. However, the Russian military has recently stepped up attacks on Ukrainian agriculture and port infrastructure after refusing to extend the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports.

The drone strikes were launched from the Black Sea and then flew west across the Danube towards Izmail. The port of Izmail is one of the main ports in Ukraine from which Ukrainian grain is transported by barge to Romanian ports on the Black Sea.

In addition, Ukrainian media reported that for the first time after the expiration of the grain agreement, several foreign cargo ships arrived at the port of Izmail through the Black Sea last Sunday.

Earlier, Russia attacked the Izmail port terminal at the end of last July. A grain warehouse was destroyed in that attack.

Earlier, Russia announced that it would withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Agreement due to non-fulfillment of its conditions. The agreement between Russia and Ukraine was signed a little over a year ago, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations. Through the agreement, Ukraine’s food grains could flow freely to the international market through the Black Sea.

However, the contract expired on July 17. Russia then refused to extend it. However, both Russia and Ukraine are the world’s leading grain exporters.

After that, Russia signaled an attack on the ship when it entered the Black Sea. In a statement after the agreement expired, the Russian Defense Ministry indicated that any ship entering the Black Sea to take Ukrainian grain without Russia’s consent would be attacked. Because these ships will be considered as weapons carriers.