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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Moscow, according to market sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian assault involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.