Latest in Ukraine: Russian Attacks Hit Grain Sites in Odesa

Latest developments:

Poland boosts troop presence at border with Belarus after it says two helicopters from Belarus violated Polish airspace.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke to reporters about the prospects of Russia returning to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. "What we have been told is that they are prepared to return to discussions. We haven't seen any evidence of that yet," she said.

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that Russian drone attacks damaged port facilities in the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, while Russian-launched drones also targeted Ukraine’s capital.

Ukraine’s military said the Russian attack damaged a grain elevator and caused a fire at industrial and port facilities in Izmail.

Oleh Kiper, the Odesa region’s governor, said on Telegram that the Russian attack left damage but that there were no reports of injuries.

“Russian terrorists have once again attacked ports, grain, global food security,” Kiper said.

The site is across the Danube River from Romania and has served as a key alternative for Ukraine to export its grain since Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last month.

Since leaving the deal, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian grain infrastructure in the Odesa region.

Turkey and the United Nations helped broker the agreement that allowed for the safe passage of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said Wednesday that Erdogan spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and stressed the importance of the agreement, calling it a “bridge of peace.”

Erdogan’s office also said the Turkish leader told Putin he would continue to work to reinstate the deal.

Before withdrawing, Russia had complained that a parallel deal to ease its own exports of grain and fertilizer was not being met.

In addition to the facilities in Odesa, Russia has also carried out attacks on Ukrainian river ports that have become more of a focus as alternative routes for Ukrainian exports since the expiration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

In Kyiv, officials said Ukrainian air defenses shot down Iranian-made Shahed drones that attacked overnight. Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said more than 10 drones that approached the city from different directions were destroyed.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said falling debris from the downed drones caused damage in at least three districts of the city. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
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