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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not seriously considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely phase out Russian crude at one of its two major Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” he said, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than six people, including two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.