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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.