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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern military unit said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.