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FormerPresident Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct 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. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary main Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.