Trump Says He Is Not Considering Supplying Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.
Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack
Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.
Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources
Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.
STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement
One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for December arrival, according to sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.
Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys
Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk
Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk area.
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No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”
Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network
The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.
Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Power
Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.
