Reni, along with Izmail, is one of Ukraine’s biggest river ports for grain and is located on the Danube at the border with Romania. Local traders had been expanding capacity there in response to Russia’s sea blockade.

Ukraine’s Danube river ports such as Izmail accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia pulled out of the Black Sea deal, and have since become the main remaining route out, with grain loaded onto barges and shipped to Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta for shipment onwards.

Selbst Ismajil, der größte von ihnen, am linken Donauufer direkt an der Grenze zu Rumänien gelegen, war vor der Invasion nur wenigen ein Begriff.