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Ex-President Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.