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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary major domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.