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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two major Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.