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FormerPresident Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own drones and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

At least 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two children, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.