Donald Trump States He Isn't Contemplating Providing Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine.

FormerPresident Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's military and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end delivery, according to sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts 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 Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, among them two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.