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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, including 2 minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.