Trump Affirms He Is Not Planning Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively considering sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.