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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia aims to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.