Trump States He Isn't Planning Sending Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.
Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage
While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.
Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies
Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's example in cutting back supplies.
STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement
One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases
Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City
Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to seize the entire east Donetsk area.
Latest Updates in the City
No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System
The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.
Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity
Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.