Russia strikes Ukrainian grain terminals

Russian missiles hit the Canadian agribusiness Viterra and U.S. grain trader Bunge Ltd. in Ukraine on Wednesday morning. Viterra was still on fire in the evening. Both plants said there were no casualties, but one Viterra employee was being treated for burns. Bunge has been closed since the start of the invasion, and this was the second time it has been targeted. Just across the border, a drone crashed into the largest oil refinery in south Russia and caused a fire. Russia said it was the latest in a series of Ukrainian aerial attacks since the war started in February. 

Have other grain plants been targeted? Russia has repeatedly targeted key bridges for grain and sunflower exports and bombarded Ukrainian ports. About 20 tons of grain are sitting in Ukraine without a safe means of export. Farmers are concerned they will not have enough storage space to keep harvesting. Russian officials have previously rejected claims that they are trying to stop Ukrainian grain exports.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour on the global food crisis.