Odesa is an important city for “world heritage sites and a vital port for global food security,” said Bridget A. Brink, United States Ambassador to Ukraine, in a Twitter post. Odesa has been a repeated target of Russian attack since Moscow pulled out of a grain deal last week that would permit the export of Ukrainian grain from the city’s ports in the Black Sea.
Founded in the final years of the 18th century, the city of Odesa has a rich history. Its location, near the site of a captured Ottoman fortress on the shores of the Black Sea, has transformed it into a powerhouse port city connecting Ukraine to the global economy.