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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not really contemplating providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two sources. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not offering further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.