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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main Turkish plants to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok army group confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.