Ukraine attacks will cause worldwide food crisis, warns Putin | Gravitas

Russia is warning of 'chaos' in global food markets after a major Ukrainian attack disrupted grain terminals at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The strikes are threatening a crucial export route at a time when the war is already putting pressure on global supplies.

Ukraine reportedly sent an offer to Russia for both sides to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea. Ukraine's offer was reportedly transmitted to Russia via a third party, and it has yet to receive a response.

Russia also launched a major overnight drone attack across Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia sent 133 drones into Ukrainian airspace and that Ukrainian air defences intercepted 111 of them. Strikes were recorded at 15 locations while falling drone debris hit another 16 sites.

Ukrainian officials said two people were killed in the Odesa region and at least six people were wounded across the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone struck a passenger train in southern Ukraine, killing two people.

Zelensky said the train was carrying 340 passengers when a Russian jet-powered drone hit its locomotive in the Odesa region.

Ukraine's state emergency service said at least one person was also injured in overnight Russian drone attacks on Chernihiv and the surrounding region.

Three of Russia's largest grain terminals at Novorossiysk have reportedly halted operations after the Ukrainian attack damaged key loading and unloading infrastructure.

According to reports, grain shipments from the port are currently impossible. Satellite imagery shows damage at the grain facilities and a nearby naval base.

Ukraine's security service described the operation as strategically significant and said its forces used drones and missiles to strike the Novorossiysk naval base.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said two frigates, a large landing ship, a corvette and other vessels were hit. The attacks are part of a wider campaign by both Russia and Ukraine against each other's infrastructure.

The military escalation is now putting further pressure on one of the world's most important grain corridors.

Novorossiysk is one of Russia's main grain export hubs, making the disruption significant for global agricultural markets.

Together, Russia and Ukraine account for nearly one-third of global wheat exports.

Black Sea grain shipments have already fallen by more than 40 percent compared with a year ago and the latest attacks come during this year's harvest.

Ukraine is trying to move more grain by rail, road and the Danube River. But those routes can handle only about half the normal Black Sea volume while drought-driven low water levels are creating additional constraints on the Danube.

The disruption is already feeding into commodity markets. Wheat prices have risen nearly 25 percent since the start of the year reaching their highest level in two years.

Russian wheat exports fell sharply in July posting their weakest performance since 2017.

Ukraine's grain exports have dropped by nearly one-third.

As repeated attacks on ports and commercial vessels disrupt shipments, daily tanker operating costs have climbed above 300 thousand dollars, forcing several shipping companies to suspend Black Sea operations.

That means higher transport costs, slower exports, and tighter global grain supplies.

The pressure comes as wheat production is also being hit by severe drought across major producing regions in the United States, Europe, Australia and parts of South America.

The U.S.D.A. expects wheat production among the world's largest exporters to decline this season while available export stocks are also shrinking.

As Russia and Ukraine continue targeting each other's export infrastructure, exports from Odesa's ports are largely halted leaving many Ukrainian farmers with few options to sell their harvest.

Agriculture accounts for nearly 60 percent of Ukraine's export revenues and industry representatives say the blockade is adding to the strain on the wartime economy.

Experts caution that the combination of war climate-related production losses and rising shipping costs is increasing uncertainty over global food supplies, inflation and trade flows in the months ahead.