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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not really considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering further details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, including two children, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.