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Ex-President Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously considering sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional details, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.