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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its own drones and rockets against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, according to industry insiders. The country is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, according to 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 virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence System

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

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukraine killed at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.