Trump Affirms He Is Not Contemplating Providing Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.
Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage
Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.
Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies
Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.
SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement
A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.
Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys
Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City
Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.
Latest Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”
Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network
Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.
Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Power
Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.