Trump Affirms He Is Not Contemplating Supplying Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.
Ex-President Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.
Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack
While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.
Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources
Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.
STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources
A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys
Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.
Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk
Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.
Latest Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System
The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including 2 children, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.