Donald Trump States He Is Not Considering Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.
Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a transfer.
Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage
While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.
Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies
Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.
STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement
One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys
The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.
Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk
Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.
Recent Developments in Pokrovsk
No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”
Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System
Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defense,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.
Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power
Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.