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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not actively contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary major Turkish plants to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged 11 and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.