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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, based on market data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.