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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.