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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least six people, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.