Donald Trump Says He Isn't Considering Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 people, including two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.