Russia's invasion of Ukraine is threatening the global food supply.

The big picture: The two countries combine for nearly 1/3 of global wheat and barley exports, AP reports. Ukraine is a major exporter of corn.

• 🌾 Lebanon, Egypt and Syria are among the countries most dependent on affordable wheat. “Any [price] hikes will be catastrophic not only for me, but for the majority of the people," Ahmed Salah, an Egyptian father of seven, told AP.
• Supplies were already tight because of droughts hitting the wheat belts of North America, NPR notes.

🐖 European livestock farmers are heavily reliant on Ukraine for corn and other grain additives for animal feed.

Between the lines: This also threatens efforts to help famine-stricken countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Ethiopia, the Financial Times reports (paywall).

The bottom line: Ukraine and Russia "account for about 12% of the calories the world trades," NPR reports.

Go deeper: Tomorrow's Axios Markets will dive into what the war means for global wheat markets.

Russia has now deployed "nearly 100%" of the combat power that it had massed on Ukraine's borders, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters today.

• The Pentagon confirmed reports that Russia is recruiting Syrian mercenaries to fight in Ukraine.

The World Health Organization confirmed at least 14 attacks on Ukrainian health facilities since the start of Russia's invasion, reports Axios' Oriana Gonzalez.

⚡️The U.S. is deploying another 500 troops to Europe in response to the invasion, a senior defense official said today, "pushing the total number of American forces in the region to 100,000." — The Wall Street Journal

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2. The Pentagon will permanently shut down the Navy’s massive fuel tank facility in Hawaii that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water, and will remove all the fuel, AP reports.
3. The Supreme Court rejected an appeal of a court ruling that overturned Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction.

The winning opening weekend for "The Batman" shows the staying power of the Batman franchise: It has had an astonishing 26 installments spanning five decades, reports Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer.

• Zoom out: Over the past few years, moviegoing has trended toward action and adventure movies that warrant a more cinematic viewing experience — pushing more dramas and comedies to streaming.
• Watch the trailer.

P.S. MoviePass is plotting a reboot this summer, original co-founder Stacy Spikes told Axios Pro Media Deals co-author Tim Baysinger.

• Go deeper.