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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign 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 Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December arrival, as per sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.