🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not really planning providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage 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 Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, according to industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.