The Russian government confirmed on Sunday that it had attacked the port of Odessa with missiles the day before, destroying the “military infrastructure” at the Black Sea terminal, a vital point for Ukraine’s grain exports.
The bombing came just hours after Moscow and Kiev signed an agreement, brokered by the UN and Turkey, to allow the flow of war-blocked Ukrainian grain.
“The Kalibr missiles destroyed the military infrastructure of the port of Odessa with a high-precision attack,” Maria Zakharova, spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on her Telegram account.
Zakharova said the missiles destroyed, among other targets, a Ukrainian “military ship” without giving details or evidence.
The statement refutes information from the previous day, when Russia denied Turkey’s involvement in the attack. “The Russians told us they had absolutely nothing to do with the attack and that they are looking into the matter very closely,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. said.
Shortly after, Russian Army Spokesperson General Igor Konashenkov provided more information on the attack, stating that the attack destroyed not only a military ship he described as a “warship in the harbor quay”, but also a Harpoon depot supplied by the United States. ship missiles.
“Other facilities for the repair and modernization of the Ukrainian navy have also become unusable,” Konashenkov said at a press conference quoted by the Interfax news agency. said.
“Barbarism”, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the attack on Odessa as barbaric, which he said showed Moscow was unreliable to implement Friday’s agreement.
After the bombing, Ukraine accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “spitting in the face” of the UN and Turkey, and of jeopardizing the agreement signed Friday in Istanbul by the international organization and that country’s mediation to resume grain exports blocked by Russia. conflict.
According to Ukrainian officials, two missiles fell in the Odessa port area and were hit by anti-aircraft defenses before two more missiles reached their targets.
The attack was also harshly condemned by the US government, which had previously blamed Russia for the bombing. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the law “raises serious doubts about the credibility of Russia’s adherence to the grain export agreement signed with Kyiv.”
“The bombing undermines the efforts of the UN, Turkey and Ukraine to bring essential foods to world markets,” said the Minister, stressing that Russia was responsible for the worsening of the global food crisis and that Moscow had approved the agreement and “has a duty now.” to apply “. exactly”.
source: Noticias
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