Donald Trump Says He Is Not Planning Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its own drones and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. The company was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, among them two children, and disrupted power to thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s attacks cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.