Donald Trump Affirms He Is Not Contemplating Supplying Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine.

Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December delivery, as per sources. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its two major Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed at least six people, including two children, and cut power to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.