🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.