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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.