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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as 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, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.