Russia strikes Ukraine’s critical port facilities in Odesa after halting grain deal

By HANNA ARHIROVA
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed intense overnight drone and missile attacks that officials said damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine, including grain and oil terminals, and wounded at least 12 people. The Agriculture Ministry said the bombardment crippled a significant part of the grain export facilities in Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk and destroyed 60,000 tons of grain. The attacks came days after President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for an attack on the crucial Kerch Bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin illegally annexed from Kyiv in 2014. Putin also pulled Moscow out of its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which enabled Ukraine’s exports to reach many countries facing the threat of hunger.