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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.