President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Photo: EPA

During the drone attack overnight on Wednesday, Russia again targeted Ukrainian ports and grain storages, Ukraine’s president said.

In a social media post, Volodymyr Zelenskyy commended "heroic air defence" which defends Ukraine "to the maximum of our capabilities".

"Russian terrorists again hit ports, grain, [and] global food security," he said.

"When civilian ports are targeted, when terrorists even deliberately destroy grain elevators, it is a threat to everyone on all continents. Russia can and must be stopped."

The Ukrainian president added the attack resulted in no casualties, but there are damages, the most serious in the southern regions.

Russia launched groups of Shahed kamikaze drones in different regions of Ukraine, targeting Kyiv, as well as the city of Izmail in the Odesa region, according to local authorities.

The Ukrainian Air Force later said that 23 kamikaze drones had been taken down, although some UAVs did inflict damage.

On July 17, 2023, Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, adding that it would not give guarantees of non-attack on civilian vessels after that date.

On the same day, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered the UN and Turkey to continue the work of the corridor without Russia.

After that, Russia attacked Odesa for several nights in a row, causing serious damage to the ports in Odesa and Chornomorsk, which worked within the corridor.