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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively planning providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.