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FormerPresident Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had suggested the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at one of its two major domestic refineries to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia aims to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.