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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key targets, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, including two children, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.