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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively planning supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and key targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for December arrival, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, including two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.