Trump Says He Isn't Contemplating Supplying Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Kyiv.

Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he was not actively considering supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six individuals, including two minors, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.