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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not really considering supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain fuel exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.