Donald Trump Says He Isn't Planning Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.
Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this transfer.
Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Missile Lack
Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.
Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies
Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.
STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources
A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases
The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. The company was also likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.
Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk
Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.
Recent Updates in the City
No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System
Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power
Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.