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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, as per insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main Turkish plants to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine killed at least 6 people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.