Russia Says Odesa Strike Should Not Affect Grain Exports
Russia said Monday its missile strikes on the Ukrainian port of Odesa should not affect an agreement to resume grain exports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the strikes hit only military infrastructure and were “no way related to infrastructure that is used for the export of grain.”
Russia had initially denied any involvement in the Saturday strike, but said Sunday its forces were responsible.
Ukrainian officials said they were working to get grain exports going again following the deal Ukraine and Russia signed on Friday.
The United Nations and Turkey helped broker the agreement, which calls for Russia’s fleet in the Black Sea to allow safe passage through areas that Russia has blockaded since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February.
The arrangement was hailed as an important step toward alleviating a global food crisis, with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling it “a beacon of hope, possibility and relief.”
Following Saturday’s strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Russia, saying it was jeopardizing the grain deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the attack “casts serious doubt on the credibility of Russia’s commitment to [Friday’s] deal and undermines the work of the UN, Turkey, and Ukraine to get critical food to world markets.”
