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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two major domestic plants to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Russia aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged 11 and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.