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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for December delivery, according to sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two sources. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.