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Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his partners 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 Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, among them two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.