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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.