🔗 Share this article

FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Despite Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also raising acquisitions of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

At least two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our national air defense,” he said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six individuals, including two minors, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.