🔗 Share this article

Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two major domestic plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, among them two minors, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.