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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Russia, 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 lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic plants to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least two hundred Russian troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Power

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, among them 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok military unit said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.