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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively considering supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine killed at least six people, among them two children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.