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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 people, among them 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.