Turkey Defence Minister Hulusi Akar made a report that, official from Moscow said they had nothing to do with the recent strikes on Ukraine’s Odesa port following a day of their just signed agreements.
According to Akar, he said officials in Ukraine informed him that Russian missile had hit a grain silo at the port but that cargo loading facilities were unaffected and activities at the port continued.
He said on hearing the reports, they made contact with their Russian counterparts, and in our contacts with them, they told us they had absolutely nothing to do with the attack, and that they were examining the issue very close and in details.
“The fact that this incident took place right after the agreement we made yesterday regarding the grain shipment has really worried us, and we are disturbed by this. However we continue to fulfill our responsibilities in the agreement,” Akar told the state news agency Anadolu.
Akar added that Russian, Ukrainian and UN representatives have already begun to work together at a joint coordination centre in Turkey and he remained hopeful that grain shipments would start quickly.
Source: Financial Times, Reuters news.