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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two minors, and cut power to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.