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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not actively contemplating sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's assault involving thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, including two minors, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area 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 Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.