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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for December delivery, as per insiders. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not providing additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.