🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.