Trump Says He Isn't Considering Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for December arrival, according to insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. The company was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.