On July 11, Ukraine said Russian attack drones overnight targeted grain facilities at a southern port in the Odesa region, which houses three maritime terminals key to an expiring export agreement between the two countries.
The Ukrainian military said it downed 26 Russian attack drones during the attack.
According to a statement on Facebook by Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper, falling debris from the downed drones caused two near-port terminals, including a grain terminal, to catch fire. The fires were quickly put out. No infrastructure facilities sustained critical damage, and there were no civilian casualties.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Istanbul, Türkiye's President Tayyip Erdoğan said he wanted to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative by three months rather than two.
The grain deal is set to expire on July 17. The initiative has safely allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other agricultural products to be exported from Ukraine during the Russian invasion and occupation. On July 4, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it did not think it would be possible to extend the deal.
