🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not seriously contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The attacks cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.