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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish refineries to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.