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FormerPresident Trump stated on Sunday that he was not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, according to Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country 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 Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to sources. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.