U.N. claims ‘most vulnerable’ disproportionately affected by termination of grain agreement; Ukraine and Russia exchange drone attacks

The regional governor of Odessa expressed concern on Monday over Russia’s destruction of port infrastructure on the Danube River during drone strikes exchanged between Kyiv and Moscow. The damages caused by these attacks are visible in the provided image captured by Operational Command ‘South’/EPA-EFE.

July 24 (UPI) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a warning about the consequences of Russia terminating its grain deal with Ukraine. Guterres delivered his remarks during the U.N. Food Systems Summit, highlighting that the Black Sea Initiative enabled the export of over 32 million metric tons of food through Ukrainian ports. This deal helped reduce food prices by 23% and provided a lifeline for areas with limited access to food supplies.

Guterres emphasized the detrimental impact of terminating the Black Sea Initiative on the most vulnerable populations, explaining that rising food prices will affect everyone. He pointed out that global wheat and corn prices have already been negatively affected.

At the same time, Russia continues its attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure. On Monday, drone strikes on Ukraine’s ports along the Danube River resulted in seven injuries and the destruction of a grain storage hangar. According to Odessa’s regional governor, Oleg Kiper, one person is in critical condition.

The attack lasted for four hours and was carried out by Iranian drones. This incident is part of a series of attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. It is estimated that 66,000 tons of grain have been destroyed in the past week.

Ukraine retaliated with drone strikes of its own, targeting non-residential buildings in Moscow and an ammunition depot in annexed Crimea. The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, reported minimal damage and no casualties as a result of these strikes.

Russian officials claim to have foiled the attacks and brought down the drones using electronic warfare. They also stated that Kyiv launched 17 drones towards Crimea, but all were destroyed by Russia’s air defense capabilities or crashed into the Black Sea.

The situation is escalating, and Secretary-General Guterres urged Russia to reconsider its decision to terminate the Black Sea Initiative. He emphasized the importance of ensuring global market access for food products and maintaining food security for all individuals.

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