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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two main Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.