Trump Says He Isn't Contemplating Sending Tomahawk Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.
Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Lack
While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.
Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies
Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.
STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement
One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys
Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.
Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk
Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault involving thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.
Latest Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network
The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.
Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 individuals, including 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.
