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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he is not actively considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 people, including 2 children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.