Trump Says He Isn't Considering Sending Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Ukraine.

FormerPresident Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, according to Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely phase out Russian crude at one of its two main domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” he said, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than six people, among them two children, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.