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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively considering supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. The company was also expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.