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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six individuals, including two minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.