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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also expected to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Russian troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 people, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.