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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.