Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Day 149, July 22 – Update 1

– Grain crisis deal in sight –

Ukraine and Russia are set to sign a deal to unblock grain exports and relieve a global food crisis.

Up to 25 million tonnes of wheat and other grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports by Russian warships and landmines Kyiv has laid to avert a feared amphibious assault.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is due to arrive in Turkey for the grain deal signing ceremony at Istanbul’s lavish Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus Strait.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweets that the agreement will be signed in Istanbul on Friday under the auspices of the Turkish leader, Guterres and Ukrainian and Russian delegations.

– Russian gas pipeline reopens –

Russia restores critical gas supplies to Europe through Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline after 10 days of maintenance.

Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, had feared Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work and accused Moscow of using energy as a “weapon”.

Suspicion lingers however that the Kremlin will trigger an energy crisis on the continent this winter.

– Strikes in Kharkiv, Kramatorsk –

In Kharkiv, prosecutors say three people have been killed and 23 more injured in a Russian missile strike.

In Kramatorsk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting, a school Ukrainian officials say was being used as a food aid storage point is also struck.

Other Topics of Interest

EXPLAINED: What We Know About Russia’s Oreshnik Missile Fired on Ukraine

Putin said it had been deployed "in a non-nuclear hypersonic configuration" and said that the "test" had been successful and had hit its target.

– Separatist regions block Google –

Pro-Russian authorities of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk People’s Republic say they have blocked Google, accusing the US giant of promoting “violence against Russians.”

The neighbouring Luhansk People’s Republic blocked Google on Thursday.