🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was also expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault comprising a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.