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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.