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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for December delivery, as per insiders. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six people, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.