Donald Trump Affirms He Isn't Contemplating Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two main Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, among them two children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.