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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not seriously considering sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a major buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, as per sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.