A Russian missile struck a grain vessel docked at the Port of Odesa on Oct. 7, killing one person and injuring five crew members, Reuters reported, citing Ukrainian officials.
It was the second attack on a docked grain ship in Ukraine in as many days, as a vessel at the nearby Port of Pivdennyi carrying 6,000 tonnes of corn was severely damaged by a Russian missile strike on Oct. 6. That ship’s 15 crew members were not injured, Reuters said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described the attacks as a “deliberate terrorist tactic.”
“By attacking civilian vessels Russia tries to weaken Ukraine’s economy and put millions around the world at risk of hunger,” Sybiha said in a statement on social media platform X. “We must join forces of all responsible states and organizations to stop the aggressor (to) ensure freedom of navigation in (the) Black Sea and global food security.”
The ship struck at the Port of Odesa was the 21st civilian vessel to be damaged by Russian missile strikes since the war began in February 2022, Reuters reported.
Despite these attacks, Ukraine’s agriculture ministry reported on Oct. 7 that the country has exported 11.2 million tonnes of grain since the 2024-25 marketing year began in July. Ukraine exported only 7.2 million tonnes during the same period a year ago. This year’s updated total includes 6.5 million tonnes of wheat, almost 3 million tonnes of corn and more than 1.4 million tonnes of barley.
The government recently announced a 16.2 million-tonne cap on wheat exports this season to ensure that adequate amounts of the food grain are reserved to meet Ukraine’s consumption needs.