🔗 Share this article

Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.