Trump Says He Is Not Planning Supplying Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.
Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack
Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.
Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources
Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.
SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources
A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.
Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys
The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.
Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk
Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the whole east Donetsk area.
Recent Updates in Pokrovsk
No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System
Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.
Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least six individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.
