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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, as per sources. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.