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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, 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 lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including two children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.