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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, including 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.