Port damaged in Russian attack on Ukraine grain

(Posted on 20/07/23)

60,000 tonnes of grain have been destroyed and damage to port and storage infrastructure will take at least a year to fully restore following Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, officials say.

In a statement by Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, Agriculture Minister, Mykola Solskyi, said, “International and Ukrainian traders and carriers such as Kernel, Viterra, CMA CGM Group suffered the most.”

Below is the statement from the ministry in full:

“On the night of 18 and 19 July, Russia launched attacks on port infrastructure involved in the Grain Initiative. The aggressor once again proved that human values are an empty sound for him, and that his words are not trustworthy. Grain terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk were attacked. The night strike knocked out a significant part of the grain export infrastructure of the port of Chornomorsk. According to experts, it will take at least a year to fully restore the objects that were damaged that night. In the port of Chornomorsk, 60,000 tons of grain were also destroyed, which was supposed to be loaded on a large-tonnage ship and sent through the grain corridor 60 days ago.

"The grain infrastructure of international and Ukrainian traders and carriers such as Kernel, Viterra, CMA CGM Group suffered the most. This is a terrorist act not against Ukraine, but against the entire world. The world's food security is once again in danger. The humanity is being held hostage by a terrorist country that is blackmailing the world with famine. The world must react decisively and accordingly!

If we cannot export food, the population of the poorest countries will be on the edge of survival! Moreover, not only Ukrainian economy will suffer, but the economy of the entire world. The price of grain will rise, and not all countries will be able to afford the purchase of agricultural products, and it means that the price for food such as flour, cereals, and meat will rise considerably," said Mykola Solskyi.”