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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary major domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.