A top European Union official blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday for destroying Ukraine’s second-largest grain terminal over the weekend, just days after the Russian leader said he would allow “safe passage” of grain exports out of the war-torn country.
A Russian airstrike destroyed at least two warehouses at the Nika-Tera grain terminal in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Sunday, according to the city’s mayor. Images on social media on Sunday showed the terminal engulfed in flames, and emergency crews were only able to put out the fire on Monday, according to Mayor Oleksandr Sinkevych. In a meeting with the president of Senegal on Friday, Putin said that Russia would guarantee the “safe passage with no problems” of ships loaded with grain leaving Black Sea ports, such as the one in Mykolaiv.
RUSSIA RESTARTS ATTACKS AGAINST KYIV AS FIGHTING IN EAST CONTINUES
“Another Russian missile strike contributing to the global food crisis. Russian forces have destroyed the second biggest grain terminal in Ukraine, in Mykolaiv,” High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said on Monday.
“In light of such reports, the disinformation spread by Putin deflecting blame becomes ever more cynical,” Borrell added.
Another Russian missile strike contributing to the global food crisis. Russian forces have destroyed the second biggest grain terminal in #Ukraine, in #Mykolaiv.
In light of such reports, the disinformation spread by Putin deflecting blame becomes ever more cynical.#StoptheWar— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) June 6, 2022
Global wheat prices surged by nearly 5% on Monday after the attack, which raised doubts that Putin will honor his pledge to allow grain exports out of Ukraine.
The Russian attack on the grain storage facility in Mykolaiv is “putting the lie to the Russians about allowing grain to be exported out of Ukraine through the Black Sea — if you don’t have a loading terminal, you can’t load any ships,” Charlie Sernatinger, global head of grain futures for the commodity trading brokerage firm ED&F Man, told AgriCensus.
If you were still not convinced that Russia is actively worsening the global food crisis, watch Russia’s strikes on a grain facility in Mykolaiv pic.twitter.com/pGoqOvQFt6
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) June 5, 2022
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last month that Russia is blocking 22 million tons of grain, nearly half of Ukraine’s grain exports, from leaving ports on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, creating what could become a “catastrophe” for the global food supply.
