Trump States He Is Not Planning Sending Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine.
FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.
Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack
Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.
Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies
Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing imports.
STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement
One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.
Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys
The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary major domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City
Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.
Recent Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network
Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six individuals, including 2 children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.