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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.