Trump Says He Isn't Considering Sending Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine.

FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit 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 Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 people, among them two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.