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Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least six people, including two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.