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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to industry sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault involving thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including two minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.