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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, among them 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.