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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without offering further details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.