Trump States He Isn't Considering Supplying Tomahawk Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively contemplating sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this delivery.
Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack
Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.
Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources
Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are following India's example in cutting back imports.
SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources
A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys
The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk
Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Russia aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.
Recent Developments in the City
At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System
The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.
Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 people, among them 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.
