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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not really planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to market sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 minors, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.