Donald Trump States He Isn't Contemplating Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.