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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukrainian Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also expected to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, including 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said some of its members were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.