German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said every missile fired by Russia at the Ukrainian port of Odesa was also the equivalent of firing a missile at people who are starving in the world.

The comment piled criticism on Moscow as Russia fired at Ukrainian ports a day after pulling out of a U.N.-backed deal to let Kyiv export grain.

Russia described its wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian ports as revenge for attacks launched by Kyiv. Moscow's decision to withdraw from the grain deal prompted the United Nations to warn it risked creating hunger around the world. (Reporting by Hans Seidenstuecker; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Friederike Heine)