Russia stated on Wednesday that Ukrainian strikes on its grain and agricultural infrastructure are contributing to the rise in global food prices and exacerbating grain shortages. According to Russia, this serves the interests of certain Western countries.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, made this statement following a wave of Ukrainian strikes on the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. As a result of these strikes, three people were killed, including a child, and major grain terminals in the city were forced to halt operations.
Zakharova stated that “the cynical military campaign of the Kyiv regime to incite chaos in the global food market… serves the interests of certain Western countries.” She added that “all of this exacerbates the shortage of grain and fertilizers, provokes an increase in global food prices, and increases the burden on countries of the Global South and East, which have become hostages to the irresponsible policies of the aforementioned ‘players'”.
This summer, Ukraine intensified strikes on Russian economic infrastructure, which, according to Ukraine, supports Moscow’s military campaign against Ukraine. This includes strikes on agricultural export infrastructure.
Impact on global markets
Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter. At the same time, Russian strikes on ships in the Black Sea have also sharply reduced grain supplies from Ukraine, which is one of the largest grain exporters.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine, grain shipment volumes decreased by 76% in the first two weeks of August compared to the same period last year.
Grain futures surged on Wednesday following Ukrainian strikes on Novorossiysk.
Source: The Straits Times
