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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.