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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 people, including 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.