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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. The company was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 individuals, including two children, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.