Fire after strike on 'Kernel' terminal: 25 thousand tons of oil destroyed, threat to food security

On the morning of July 14, a Russian strike on the 'Kernel' oilseed terminal in the Odesa region caused a massive fire. As a result of the attack, half of the sunflower oil storage tanks and a significant part of the facility's infrastructure were damaged. The fire destroyed approximately 25 thousand tons of product — both belonging to 'Kernel' itself and stored there on behalf of an American company.

Operational fire suppression

The coordinated efforts of employees of the 'Kernel' port enterprises, units of the State Emergency Service (SES), and assistance from neighboring terminals allowed the fire to be contained and fully extinguished within 12 hours. Thanks to the rapid actions of rescuers, the spread of fire to other facilities was prevented, and the leakage of sunflower oil into the Black Sea was avoided. There were no casualties among the terminal workers.

Suspension of operations and damage assessment

As a result of the attack, 'Kernel' was forced to suspend operational activities at its terminals in the Chornomorsk Sea Port. Currently, specialists are working to eliminate the consequences of the strike and assess the full scale of the damage inflicted.

The company's statement emphasizes that targeted strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure not only hit local businesses but also undermine global food security, threatening the stability of global food supplies.

History of attacks on 'Kernel' facilities

The terminal in the Odesa region has become a victim of a series of attacks on the agro-holding's infrastructure. Previously, on the night of June 5, the 'Kernel' terminal in the Chornomorsk port was damaged as a result of a drone strike on the Odesa region. Even earlier, on May 3, Russian drones attacked the same port infrastructure, damaging the vegetable oil transshipment terminal.

Attacks were not limited to the Odesa region. On May 19, during a night drone strike in the Khmelnytskyi region, the company's elevator complex was damaged. In August 2024, the 'Kernel' oilseed processing plant in western Ukraine was also damaged by a drone attack.