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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, among them two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern military unit said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.