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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and cut power to thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.