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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, including two children, and cut power to thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.