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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major Turkish plants to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least six people, among them two children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.