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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six people, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged 11 and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.