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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut electricity to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.