What did Odesa's grain stores lose on 21 July 2023?

What did the war look like on 21 July 2023, as seen from the south of Ukraine? It looked like a continuing campaign against civilian and economic targets, with grain storage in Odesa among the places hit.

On that day, Russian forces struck grain warehouses in Odesa with Kalibr missiles. According to Governor Oleh Kiper, the attack destroyed 120 tons of crops and injured two civilians. In Mykolaiv, a Russian strike on a building killed two civilians.

A pattern of attacks on Odesa

The strike on the grain stores came two days after a night-time Russian missile attack on Odesa on 19 July 2023, in which at least 12 people were injured. Taken together, the two attacks showed the city under repeated fire within the same week.

Aid and sanctions in the background

The fighting took place as Ukraine's partners were adding to their support. On 19 July 2023, the United States announced a $1.3 billion military aid package. It included four NASAMS air defence systems, anti-tank missiles, Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade attack drones, and landmine clearing equipment, among other items. Air defence systems were part of that package at a time when missiles were hitting Odesa and Mykolaiv.

On 20 July 2023, the European Union imposed sanctions on the director of the Russian prison holding opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

There was also news from Crimea on 19 July 2023, when a fire at military training grounds forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people and the closure of a nearby highway.

What the day recorded

The figures for 21 July 2023 were modest beside the larger events around them: 120 tons of crops destroyed, two people injured in Odesa, two people killed in Mykolaiv. They are a reminder that the war was measured daily in individual strikes on warehouses and buildings, as well as in aid packages and sanctions announced in capitals abroad.