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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not really contemplating sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole 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 one of the enemy attacks on the region.