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Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two major domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president 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 additional air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated 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 national air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.