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Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.