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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.