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Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Russia, according to market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary major domestic plants to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.