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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

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

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.