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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not really planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 people, including 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.