Trump Says He Isn't Considering Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he is not really considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.
Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage
While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.
Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies
Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.
STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources
One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases
The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.
Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City
Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk area.
Latest Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System
The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.
Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six individuals, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.
