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Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not really considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault involving a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.