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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 people, including two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.