Russian strikes damage port, grain storage in Odesa: Ukraine

Russian air strikes have damaged port and grain storage infrastructure in the Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Sept. 25, as the war-torn country was dealt a blow in its efforts to revive agricultural exports.

Since pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, Moscow has launched multiple attacks on logistics facilities in Odesa and its surrounding regions to hamper major grain exporter Ukraine's ability to maintain overseas sales.

Overnight, drones and missiles hit the port infrastructure in Odesa, and "the maritime terminal suffered significant damage," the Odesa City Council said through Telegram, a social media channel.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko said a grain warehouse with a capacity of 40,000 mt was also damaged, as well as some ships moored at the deepsea port.

"The damage could have affected the grain delivery system from the warehouse to the pier, along with the loading mechanisms," Goncharenko said through Telegram. "It will be very difficult to restore it in a short time, which means that, most likely, the Odesa port will not...be able to receive bulk carriers and ship food."

Russia's latest strike killed at least four Ukrainian civilians and wounded another 13, according to media reports.

Revival of exports

The attacks came after Ukraine managed to export some grain cargoes from its Black Sea ports earlier in September after a two-month halt.

The 18,315-dwt Aroya and the 3,276-dwt Resilient Africa loaded wheat from Chornomorsk and sailed to Israel and Egypt Sept. 19 and Sept. 21, respectively, through a temporary corridor established by Kyiv.

Another three vessels could lift from Chornomorsk and Pivdenny for deliveries to China, Egypt, and Spain, market sources reported earlier this month. It is not immediately known whether there are any changes to the plan.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the UN and Turkey July 22, 2022, had allowed Ukraine to export 32.9 million mt of agricultural products from Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenny before Russia's withdrawal from the deal. Russia said it exited because the West did not meet several of its demands, including reconnecting the state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication payment system.

Ukraine is expected to export 10 million mt of wheat in the marketing year 2023-24 (July-June), compared with 15 million mt in the previous year, according to Victoria Sinitsyna, a senior grains analyst with S&P Global Commodity Insights.