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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.