Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.
Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Lack
Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.
Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies
Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back imports.
STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources
One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.
Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys
Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.
Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City
Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.
Recent Updates in the City
At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System
Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.
Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Power
Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.
