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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in the City

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not offering further details, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.