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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly all 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 Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two main Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including 2 children, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.