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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's example in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to the EU without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.