Trump Affirms He Is Not Considering Sending Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv.

FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, based on market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Moscow's offensive involving a large number of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in the City

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than six people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.