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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two major domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six people, among them two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.