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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon completely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating 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 embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, including two children, and cut power to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages 11 and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.