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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.