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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed at least six people, including two children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.