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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he is not seriously contemplating sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.