MYKOLAIV/NEAR KUPIANSK, Ukraine—An escalation in the Black Sea rattled world grain markets, with Russia launching a third night of air attacks on Ukrainian ports and issuing a threat against Ukraine-bound shipping, to which Kyiv responded in kind.
At least 27 people were reported injured as a result of the air raids on the ports, which set fire to buildings and damaged China's embassy in Odesa.
The US said Russia's warning to ships showed Moscow would attack ships at sea, following Moscow's withdrawal from a U.N.-brokered arrangement to allow Ukraine to export grain this week. The indications that Russia was willing to use force to reimpose its blockade of one of the world's largest food suppliers caused global prices to skyrocket.
Moscow has stated that it will not participate in the year-old grain contract until it receives improved conditions for its own food and fertilizer sales.
Kyiv hopes to resume exports without the participation of Russia. However, no ships have departed from its ports since Moscow dropped out of the agreement on Monday, and insurers have expressed reservations about underwriting coverage for trade in a war zone.
Since pulling out of the agreement, Moscow has launched missiles at Ukraine's two largest port cities, Odesa and Mykolaiv, every night. The strikes on Thursday appeared to be the worst yet.
Oleh Kiper, the regional governor of Odesa, shared an image of China's embassy building with damaged glass on social media. It is located in the heart of Odesa, right over the railway tracks from the harbour.
Moscow has termed the port strikes as retaliation for a Monday Ukrainian attack on Russia's bridge to Crimea. On Thursday, it stated its retaliatory strikes would continue and that it had struck all its targets in Odesa and Mykolaiv.
Russia's military issued its most clear threat yet, declaring that all ships sailing into Ukrainian waters from Thursday morning would be considered potentially carrying weapons, and their flag countries would be considered parties to the war on the Ukrainian side. It declared that areas of the Black Sea were dangerous.
Kyiv responded on Thursday by announcing similar penalties, stating that vessels going towards Russia or Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory would likewise be considered to be transporting weaponry.
