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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are following India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not offering further details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.