Trump Says He Is Not Contemplating Providing Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.
Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Missile Lack
Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.
Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources
Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back imports.
SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement
A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, according to insiders. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases
The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary major domestic plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.
Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Eastern City
Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.
Recent Updates in the City
No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System
The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.