Ukraine strikes Novorossiysk grain terminals and Russian naval base
Ukraine has struck Russia's Novorossiysk port, damaging two grain export terminals and hitting several Russian warships, while Russia accuses Kyiv of driving up global food prices. Zelensky is meanwhile appealing to the US for more interceptor missiles.
Ukraine carried out a large-scale operation overnight into August 12 against Russia's Novorossiysk port, damaging two grain export terminals and striking the last major Black Sea Fleet base, the BBC reports. Ukraine's military said four Russian warships were hit, including two frigates.
President Volodymyr Zelensky described the operation as unique, saying it involved missiles, unmanned interceptors and naval drones, though he did not mention the strikes on grain infrastructure. Writing on social media, he said the occupiers' fleet and its infrastructure would remain unsafe as long as Russian aggression against Ukraine continues.
Novorossiysk became Russia's main Black Sea Fleet base after ships were forced to leave Sevastopol in annexed Crimea due to intensifying Ukrainian strikes. The attack on the port damaged pipelines and cut water supply, prompting a state of emergency. Overnight, Krasnodar region reported hundreds of drone incursions that damaged dozens of buildings.
Russian response
Grain export companies confirmed to TASS and RBK that their terminals were hit. Russia's Agriculture Ministry said it is redirecting grain exports toward the Baltic and Caspian seas as well as overland routes, citing logistics constraints. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine of driving up global food prices and warned Russia would continue striking facilities it says disrupt navigation in the Black Sea.
Ukraine's appeal for support
In an interview with CNN, Zelensky said Ukraine needs a tenth of the United States' current interceptor missile stockpile to stop all Russian ballistic missile attacks, adding that even 5% would let Ukraine get through the winter. He noted Ukraine has received two-and-a-half times fewer interceptors this year than in 2025, while Russia has doubled the number of missiles it launches.
Concerns over a global food shortage caused by the war have persisted since 2022, since Ukraine and Russia are major grain suppliers to North Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.
