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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 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 supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.