Donald Trump Says He Isn't Planning Sending Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.
Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage
While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.
Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources
Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.
STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement
One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.
Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases
The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City
Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.
Latest Developments in Pokrovsk
At least 200 Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System
Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity
Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.