Kernel's export terminal in Chornomorsk damaged, halts operations

Russian forces carried out massed attacks on the port of Chornomorsk for two consecutive nights — the nights of July 10-11 and July 11-12. According to Kernel, the company's port assets sustained heavy damage in the attacks.

"The attacks caused extensive destruction and forced the suspension of operations at the affected terminals," the company said in a statement.

The strikes damaged loading and unloading equipment, terminal infrastructure and power connection lines. Grain silos and sunflower oil storage tanks were destroyed or damaged, resulting in blocked operations and the spillage and quality loss of roughly 45,000 metric tons of wheat and 9,000 metric tons of sunflower oil, Kernel said.

Thanks to the company's safety protocols, no employees were injured.

A full technical assessment of the damage, the volume of lost grain and the required capital expenditures is currently underway. The timeline for restoring the port facilities will depend on the completion of cleanup work and the findings of an engineering audit.

Kernel emphasized that targeted strikes on port infrastructure pose a direct threat not only to global food security but also to the safety of international shipping. The company noted that vessels flying the flags of China and other countries, which were docked and loading cargo at the time of the attacks, were also put at risk.

Russian forces struck a civilian cargo vessel flying the flag of Togo in Odesa Oblast on July 13, killing three crew members and injuring five others.

Kernel is the world's largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine's largest grain exporter, and operates an extensive network of logistics assets. The company is a leading producer of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine and one of the country's largest producers and sellers of bottled oil. It grows and sells agricultural products. The company's founder and ultimate beneficiary is Andriy Verevskyi.