A farm storage building is seen heavily damaged after a Russian attack in Odesa region, Ukraine, Friday, July 21, 2023. A missile barrage injured two people, damaged equipment and destroyed 100 metric tons of peas and 20 metric tons of barley, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. (AP Photo/Libkos)
KYIV, Ukraine 鈥� Russia followed its withdrawal from a grain export deal by expanding its attacks from port infrastructure to farm storage buildings in Ukraine鈥檚 Odesa region on Friday, July 21, while also practicing a Black Sea blockade.
Other Russian missiles damaged what officials described only as an 鈥渋mportant infrastructure facility鈥� southwest of the port city of Odesa, in what appeared to be an effort to cripple Ukraine鈥檚 food exports.
Attacks in recent days have put Odesa in Russia鈥檚 crosshairs after Moscow abandoned a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to send grain through the key Black Sea port.
In the attack on the storage site, two low-flying cruise missiles started a blaze, then another struck during firefighting efforts, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said. The barrage injured two people, damaged equipment and destroyed 100 metric tons of peas and 20 metric tons of barley, Kiper said.
Russia targeted Ukrainian critical grain export infrastructure after vowing to retaliate for what it said was a Ukrainian attack that damaged a crucial bridge between Russia and the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
鈥淭he enemy is continuing terror, and it鈥檚 undoubtedly related to the grain deal,鈥� said Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military鈥檚 Operational Command South.
READ: Russia warns ships in Black Sea, Ukraine to create temporary grains export route
Both Russia and Ukraine have announced they will treat ships traveling to each other鈥檚 Black Sea ports as potential military targets.
Russia鈥檚 Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin clarified the Defense Ministry鈥檚 announcement earlier this week that Moscow has declared wide areas in the Black Sea dangerous for shipping. The ministry said it would consider incoming vessels as laden with weapons and treat the country of its flag a participant in the conflict on the Ukrainian side.
Vershinin said the Russian navy will inspect the vessels to make sure they aren鈥檛 carrying military cargo before taking any other action.
鈥淭here is no longer a sea humanitarian corridor, there is a zone of increased military danger,鈥� he told a news briefing.
READ: Russia strikes Ukraine grain port after pulling out of export deal
Vershinin added that Russia will fulfill the needs of African countries despite the deal鈥檚 termination. President Vladimir Putin has promised to provide poor countries in Africa with free grain.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said the recent strikes against port and grain infrastructure and threats of escalation at sea 鈥渁re likely a part of a Kremlin effort to leverage Russia鈥檚 exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and exact extensive concessions from the West.鈥�
In this photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, July 21, 2023, a warship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet fires a missile while taking part in naval drills in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry said the navy conducted drills that simulated action to seal a section of the Black Sea. The maneuvers come after Moscow declared large areas of the Black Sea dangerous for navigation following its withdrawal from a deal allowing exports of the Ukrainian grain. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Western countries should address Russia鈥檚 demands to restore the Black Sea grain corridor.
鈥淩ussia has some expectations. If these are overcome, Russia is in favor of the active work of this grain corridor,鈥� said Erdogan, who helped negotiate the deal. 鈥淲e know that (Putin) has some expectations from Western countries. Western countries need to take action on this issue.鈥�
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He reiterated he would talk to Putin by phone and hoped to meet him in Turkey next month.
In comments reported by state-run news agency Anadolu and other media, Erdogan warned that the end of the grain initiative would raise global food prices, increase famine and unleash new waves of migration.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with Erdogan by phone Friday, and they 鈥渃oordinated efforts to restore the operation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.鈥�
鈥淯nlocking the grain corridor is an absolute priority,鈥� Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the navy conducted drills that simulated action to seal off a section of the Black Sea. In the maneuvers, a missile boat fired anti-ship cruise missiles at a mock target.
The ministry also said it fired long-range sea-launched weapons on facilities 鈥渦sed for preparation of terror attacks against the Russian Federation involving drones,鈥� adding that 鈥渁ll the designated targets have been hit.鈥� It didn鈥檛 elaborate.
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Putin, meantime, repeated his claim that Ukraine鈥檚 much-anticipated counteroffensive is failing, although he offered no evidence.
Putin, whose authority was shaken last month by a short-lived rebellion from a Russian mercenary force, told his Security Council that the Ukrainian military has suffered massive losses and the West is struggling to maintain supplies of weapons and ammunition.
Putin also spoke provocatively about Poland, alleging that Warsaw has formed a special military unit to ensure security in western Ukraine and plans to meddle in Kyiv鈥檚 affairs.
In other developments, Zelenskyy announced the resignation of the country鈥檚 culture minister, suggesting the ministry鈥檚 spending was misguided during wartime.
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鈥淧aving stones, city decorations, and fountains can wait till after the victory,鈥� he said.
Recent scandals have involved local authorities, such as the repair of a cobblestone road in central Kyiv and the renovation of a fountain in a western Ukraine city.
Zelenskyy also fired the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, who was also ambassador to the International Maritime Organization. He gave no reason, but Prystaiko had publicly criticized the president.