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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to sources. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. The company was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.