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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not really considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.