KYIV, UKRAINE — A day after pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia struck Ukrainian ports in Odesa and Mykolaiv, Reuters reported.

In Odesa, Russia said it hit fuel storage and a plant making seaborne drones. The Port of Odesa is one of Ukraine’s main ports for exporting grain and one of the largest on the Black Sea.

Reuters said local authorities in Mykolaiv, another port, described a serious fire there.

Russia said the attacks were part of “mass revenge strikes” in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks that knocked out a road bridge to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

On July 17, Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative that had been brokered in July 2022 by Turkey and the United Nations, allowing for the safe passage of 33 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs from Ukrainian ports.

Russia in recent weeks had threatened to not extend the deal unless a series of demands, including the removal of obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer exports, were met.

In the five months after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, exports out of Ukraine were blockaded, causing grain prices to soar to near record highs and leading to food insecurity. Ukraine is a leading exporter of wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil.

With the withdrawal of Russia from the grain deal, the UN said developing countries will suffer.

“Hundreds of millions of people face hunger, and consumers are confronting a global cost-of-living crisis,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres on July 17. “They will pay the price.”

Guterres said Russia’s withdrawal will not stop the UN’s efforts to facilitate the “unimpeded access to global markets for food products and fertilizers from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”

“Looking ahead, our goal must continue to be advancing global food security and global food price stability,” he said.

ADM, a global commodities trading and food processing company, said it strongly urges all involved parties to come together to reinstate and return full operation to the grain initiative. It pledged to continue to use all of its resources to find other routes for Ukrainian grain but said there is “no true substitute for Ukraine’s ports on the Black Sea.”

“As one of the leading growers of wheat, corn and barley, Ukraine is a critical pillar of global food security, and the grain corridor has allowed Ukrainian farmers to continue to serve that vital role even amid Russia’s invasion,” ADM said. “Since February 2022, in addition to prioritizing the safety of our Ukrainian colleagues and their families, ADM has been focused on supporting Ukrainian farmers and ensuring the flow of food to those who need it around the world.

“ADM is committed to supporting an agreement for safe passage of food and ag products through the grain corridor. We believe this is critical to serving global nutrition needs, to Ukraine’s agriculture sector, and to economic recovery when the war is over.”