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Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine killed at least 6 people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.