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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December delivery, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to continue petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on the region.