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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, according to Moscow officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

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 buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by two sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without offering further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted power to thousands of households, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.