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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in the City

At least 200 Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two children, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.