Trump States He Is Not Planning Supplying Tomahawk Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault involving thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.