🔗 Share this article

Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.