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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to market insiders. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, among them 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.