Russia attacks Ukraine grain port, causing soaring food prices globally

Russian drones struck a Ukrainian river port Wednesday, causing damage to Ukrainian grain shipments.

The strike hit the Danube River port of Ismail and damaged nearly 44,000 tons of grain that was heading to Africa, China and the Middle East, The New York Times reported.

“Russian terrorists have once again targeted ports, grain facilities and global food security,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted Wednesday morning on Telegram, per The Associated Press. “The world must respond.”

Last week, Russia sent a drone strike that destroyed a grain hangar in the town of Reni, which is across the Danube River from Romania, “Russia’s closest brush with hitting the territory of a NATO member since beginning its full-scale invasion in February 2022,” per the Times.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said the attacks on the river are “unacceptable,” according to CNN.

Ukraine is one of the world’s key exporters of grain, and following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine struck a deal called the Black Sea grain initiative, which allowed for Ukraine to send out shipments without Russian interference.

Russia bowed out of the deal earlier this summer following Ukrainian attacks on the bridge connecting the annexed Crimea to Russia’s mainland.

Pope Francis requested Russia consider rejoining the deal during an address on Sunday.

“I appeal to my brothers, the authorities of the Russian Federation, so that the Black Sea initiative may be resumed and grain may be transported safely,” Francis said, per the Vatican News.

An administrative building was also damaged Wednesday in Ukrainian capital Kyiv by Russian drones.

Russian shelling also hit the city of Kherson, wounding two civilians, a 91-year-old woman was killed in a village in Kharkiv and four people were wounded from shelling in the eastern Donetsk region, AP News reported.