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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.