Zelensky accuses Russia of barbarism.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “barbarism” after a missile attack on the port of Odesa.
A landmark agreement to resume Ukraine’s grain exports – signed hours before the attack – now hangs in “doubt”.
Moscow has not commented on the attack and Kiev has said preparations are still underway to resume wheat exports despite the apparent breach.
But on Saturday, President Zelensky said it illustrated how Moscow could not be trusted to stick to the deal.
He pledged to do everything possible to acquire air defense systems capable of shooting down such missiles in the future.
Ukraine is a major exporter of grain, but because of the war, about 20 million tons of grain are stuck in its ports, unable to leave because of Russian forces.
This has led to food shortages and rising prices across Africa, which usually relies on Ukraine and Russia for grain.
Under Friday’s agreement, Russia agreed not to target the ports while the grain shipments were in transit.
But just hours after the deal was signed, two Kalibr missiles hit the port of Odesa, according to the Ukrainian military’s southern command center. Two more missiles were shot down by air defense systems.
The attack did not cause significant damage to the port, the command center said.
The attack was also condemned by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who accused Russia of exacerbating a global food crisis and said the attack cast “serious doubt” on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to the pact.
“Russia must stop its aggression and fully implement the grain deal it has agreed to,” he said on Saturday.
The Kremlin has so far made no public comment on the attack, but the Turkish government, which brokered the deal, said Russian officials had denied responsibility.
