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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not really contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, according to sources. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six individuals, including 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.