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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively considering sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary major Turkish plants to continue fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.