Donald Trump States He Isn't Planning Sending Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a delivery.
Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack
Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.
Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies
Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.
STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources
A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.
Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases
The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.
Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City
Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia aims to seize the entire east Donetsk region.
Recent Updates in Pokrovsk
At least 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System
The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.
Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Power
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.