Trump Affirms He Is Not Planning Providing Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine.

FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, according to market data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by two sources. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing additional details, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, including two children, and disrupted power to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.