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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. The company was also expected to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.