A landmark deal to resume Ukraine’s grain exports is hanging in the balance after missiles hit the port of Odesa.
Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov, said technical work to prepare for shipments was going ahead despite the apparent breach.
But President Volodymr Zelensky said the attack proved Russia would find ways not to implement the deal.
Under Friday’s deal, Russia agreed not to target ports while grain shipments were in transit.
In a post to social media, the Ukrainian military’s southern command centre said two Kalibr missiles had hit the port, while two more had been shot down by air defence systems.
The Turkish government, which brokered the deal, said Russian officials had denied responsibility.
“In our contact with Russia, the Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and that they were examining the issue very closely and in detail,” said Defence Minister Hulusai Akar.
On Friday, officials from Kyiv and Moscow signed a deal to allow millions of tonnes of grain trapped in Ukraine to be exported.
The agreement was hailed as a “beacon of hope” by the UN after months of fighting.
The deal – which took two months to reach – is set to last for 120 days, with a co-ordination and monitoring centre to be established in Istanbul, staffed by UN, Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian officials. It can be renewed if both parties agree.
