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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not really contemplating sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's sights for over a year as Russia aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

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At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.