<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Ukraine's southern port of Odesa was hit by Russian missiles overnight, destroying grain stores, the Ukrainian military said Monday.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia "attacked the south of the country again", the Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said on the messaging platform Telegram.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since July when Moscow pulled out of a UN-brokered deal allowing safe grain shipments via the Black Sea, Russia has ramped up attacks on Ukraine's grain-exporting infrastructure in the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian southern military command, said Russia was apparently "trying to test out the density of the air defence".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"They understand that port infrastructure is a priority for our region, and that it is reliably protected. However, that is why the attack that occurred tonight was both massive and by combined means," she said on Telegram.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Defence Forces of the South of Ukraine said Russia directed 19 drones and 2 Onyx supersonic missiles at Odesa, and fired 12 Kalibr missiles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They claimed all 19 Shaheds and 11 Kalibrs "were shot down".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, Russia did "hit the port infrastructure" in Odesa, which "suffered significant damage", they said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Onyx missiles destroyed granaries. But people were not hurt," they said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Warehouses and a private house in the Odesa suburbs were damaged and caught fire, they added, "as a result of falling debris".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gumenyuk said one of the grain stores hit was empty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Nevertheless, hitting grain deal-related infrastructure", she said, was a Russian "priority".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Odesa regional governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram that one woman in Odesa, a civilian, was injured by shrapnel "in a blast wave" and was being treated in hospital.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Grain shipments get through -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine is testing a new Black Sea route that avoids international waters and uses those controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A first ship loaded with wheat reached Istanbul on Thursday despite Russian threats to attack boats heading to or from Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A second shipment reached Turkey on Sunday, according to maritime traffic monitoring sites.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia and Ukraine are two major agricultural powers whose supplies are crucial for global food security.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Moscow's invasion of its neighbour in February last year -- and subsequent international sanctions -- have destabilised global supplies and markets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Russia: Ukrainian drones downed -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile Russia's defence ministry said its air defences had "destroyed" four unmanned aerial vehicles over the northwestern Black Sea, and the Crimean peninsula which Moscow annexed in 2014.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It said two drones each were intercepted in Kursk and Bryansk, two regions bordering Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kursk regional governor Roman Starovoyt said several homes and the roof of an administrative building were damaged "due to an attack by Ukrainian UAVs" in the Central district.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No casualties were reported.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bryansk regional governor Aleksandr Bogomaz said there were "no casualties or damage" in the region. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>