Russian Attack Hits Warehouses and Granaries at Reni Port in Odesa Region

Russian forces launched kamikaze drone strikes on the Odesa Region overnight, attacking the Reni Sea Trade Port on the Danube river, severely damaging grain silos and warehouses.

In a statement to local media, Igor Plekhov, the Mayor of Reni said the attack caused damage to an old elevator building, a section of the silos, and grain storage warehouses belonging to three port operators.

No casualties have been reported.

Plekhov said the attack did not lead to any critical fires and emergency services were at the scene and there was no damage to residential structures within the city.

Situated on the left bank of the Danube River, near the Romanian border, the commercial seaport of Reni plays a vital role as a transportation nexus. Operating not only as a river port but also as a sea, road, and rail transport hub, it holds strategic importance. Reni is located merely a few kilometers away from the Romanian port of Galati.

The nighttime Russian attack didn’t deter the departure of the Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte container ship from the Odesa port today. This marks the maiden voyage of a civilian vessel using Ukraine’s new “humanitarian corridor” for grain export established after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Agreement.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure, said the container ship had been docked at an Odesa port since Feb. 23, 2022, the day before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

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Russian Drones Attack Ukraine Overnight, Damaging Infrastructure and Causing Injuries

The attack occurred on the eve of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated by both Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians on May 5th.

The ship set sail from the Vorontsov Lighthouse and is en route to the Bosphorus, carrying over 30,000 tons of cargo (2,114 containers), including a large supply of grain.

Over the last year, Ukraine has exported approximately two million tons of grain via the Danube, compared to about 600,000 tons in the previous year, according to the BBC.