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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish refineries to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.