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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.