Trump Says He Is Not Considering Supplying Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.
FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.
Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage
While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.
Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources
Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.
STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources
A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.
Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys
The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to continue fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.
Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City
Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.
Latest Developments in Pokrovsk
No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”
Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System
The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.
Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity
Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.