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Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to sources. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 people, including two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.