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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to two sources. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its two major domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.