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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.