At least five grain ships near the ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse in Russia in the Black Sea have been targeted, as Moscow works to continue exporting grain amid an intensification of attacks by Ukraine. Bloomberg reported the matter citing informed sources.

Based on this report, this is the first confirmation that vessels carrying grain used by Russia’s damaged ports have been targeted. Moscow has tried to play down the scale of the damage, while an increasing number of ship owners have grown cautious about the risk of berthing at ports in this country.

Russia and Ukraine together supply more than a quarter of the world’s wheat exports, and these attacks are taking place amid this year’s harvest season.