Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

* Turkey said the grains deal will mark a first step to ease a global food crisis since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. * Europe's thirst for oil and gas to replace sanctioned Russian supply is reviving interest in African energy projects that were shunned due to costs and climate change concerns, industry executives and African officials said.

Russia and Ukraine will sign a deal on Friday to reopen Ukraine's Black Sea ports for grain exports, Turkey said, raising hopes that an international food crisis aggravated by Russia's invasion can be eased. ECONOMY

* A grains agreement will be signed in Istanbul, Turkey this afternoon, a U.N. spokesperson said on Friday, adding that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as well as officials from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey will be present. * Turkey said the grains deal will mark a first step to ease a global food crisis since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

* Europe's thirst for oil and gas to replace sanctioned Russian supply is reviving interest in African energy projects that were shunned due to costs and climate change concerns, industry executives and African officials said. * Japan warned on Friday of escalating national security threats, including repercussions from Russia's war with Ukraine, Chinese intimidation of Taiwan, and vulnerable technology supply chains, in its annual defence white paper.

* A tanker carrying a liquid fertilizer product from Russia is about to arrive in the United States, sources and vessel tracking data showed in recent days. The U.S. has not blacklisted Russian agricultural commodities, including fertilizers, in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion. Still, many Western banks and traders have steered clear of Russian supplies for fear of running afoul of rapidly changing rules. FIGHTING

* Russia's defence ministry said on Friday its forces had destroyed four U.S.-supplied high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) between July 5-20. * Russia has increased its use of air defence missiles in a secondary ground attack mode because of critical shortages of dedicated ground-attack missiles, British military intelligence said on Friday.

* Russian forces appear to be closing in on Ukraine's second biggest power plant at Vuhlehirska, 50 km (31 miles) northeast of Donetsk, aiming to seize critical infrastructure and the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, Britain said. It was not immediately possible to verify the battlefield reports.