Russian drones strike Ukrainian port day before Putin to arrive

Russian drones blitzed a Ukrainian port vital to the nation’s wheat exports, injuring two people — a day before an expected meeting between Russia President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leaders to negotiate a resumption of food trade in the region.

At least 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones bombarded the Reni seaport in a nearly four-hour assault Sunday morning.

Russian officials said the attack set ablaze fuel stockpiles used by Ukrainian military forces.

Twenty-two of the drones were shot down by Ukrainian defenses, according to reports, which said the fires were quickly put out.

Both victims were civilians; their conditions were not known.

Ukrainian officials called the Reni assault an attack on the “civil infrastructure of the Danube.”

Located on the Danube River in the southern Odesa region of Ukraine, Reni and other ports along the river have been crucial waypoints for Ukraine’s wheat exports since July, when Russia pulled out of a deal brokered by the UN and Turkey that allowied safe exports through the Black Sea.

Russia broke away from the pact, claiming a parallel deal to remove obstacles to Russian food and fertilizer exports hadn’t been honored.

Moscow has complained restrictions on shipping and insurance hampered its agricultural trade, even though it has shipped record amounts of wheat since last year.

Putin is due to meet Monday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi to discuss resumption of the Black Sea trade routes. On Thursday, Russia gave Turkish foreign ministers a list of actions they said the West would have to take in order for Ukraine’s Black Sea exports to resume.

Erdogan has indicated sympathy with Putin’s position.

In July, he said Putin had “certain expectations from Western countries” over the Black Sea deal and that it was “crucial for these countries to take action in this regard.”

The war has led to food shortages and soaring prices worldwide, as exports by Ukraine — one of the world’s largest grain producers — have been stunted by the fighting.

Russia’s assault on Reni was just the latest on vital Ukrainian ports in recent weeks.

“Russian terrorists continue to attack port infrastructure in the hope of provoking a food crisis and famine in the world,” said the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, according to Reuters.

With Post wires.