🔗 Share this article

Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely phase out Russian crude at one of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled 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, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been under Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported recently, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including two minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.