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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine killed at least six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.