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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously considering providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for December arrival, as per sources. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed at least 6 people, among them 2 minors, and cut power to thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.