The attacks destroyed buildings at the port of Izmail and stopped ships heading to the port to pick up grain. Trade tracking data showed dozens of international ships stopped and anchored at the mouth of the Danube.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said the attack damaged 40,000 tonnes of grain.
According to Reuters news agency, the port, located across the river from Romania (a NATO member), has served as Ukraine's main alternative route for exporting grain to the world since Russia re-imposed a de facto blockade on Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea in mid-July.
Russia on August 2 attacked port infrastructure in Ukraine's Odessa region, causing a fire. Photo: AP
The attack damaged 40,000 tonnes of grain destined for China, Israel and African countries. Photo: Reuters
Video released by Ukrainian authorities showed firefighters trying to extinguish a fire in a building with shattered windows. Several other buildings were destroyed and at least two warehouses were destroyed, spilling grain.
Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said no casualties were reported in the raid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Russia's attacks on Ukrainian ports, saying they would cause a crisis in markets, prices and food supplies.
Sharing the same view, France accused Russia of "deliberately endangering global food security" by attacking Ukrainian ports, destroying essential grain export infrastructure.
A tower in Moscow was damaged by a UAV attack. Photo: REUTERS
Meanwhile, the Russian news agency RIA said the Ukrainian port and grain infrastructure attacked housed foreign mercenaries and stored military equipment. The Russian military also targeted a Ukrainian naval ship repair yard.
However, Reuters could not verify the information. Two industry sources told Reuters that operations at the port had been suspended. The head of the port authority, Yuriy Lytvyn, said repair work had begun and the port would continue to operate.
Wheat prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) rose nearly 5% on concerns about how the attack would impact global supplies.
Meanwhile, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell warned the G20 group that Russia is offering cheap grain to make countries dependent on Moscow's supplies.
In another incident, the Ukrainian Air Force said on August 2 that air defense units shot down 23 Russian attack drones overnight, but also admitted that some still got through and hit Odessa port infrastructure.
Accordingly, in a statement released on August 2, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russian forces used Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Odesa from three directions. Most of the Shaheds were destroyed in Kiev and Odessa. There were many loud explosions during the night when the air defense system was activated.
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