Trump Says He Isn't Planning Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

Ex-President Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two major Turkish refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.