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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not really planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.