Donald Trump States He Is Not Contemplating Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.
Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not really considering supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.
Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack
Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.
Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources
Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's lead in cutting back supplies.
SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement
A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.
Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases
Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City
Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.
Latest Developments in Pokrovsk
No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System
The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.
Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including two minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.