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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for December delivery, as per sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, among them two children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.