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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.