Donald Trump States He Is Not Considering Providing Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted 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 military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.