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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not actively planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two major Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.