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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.