🔗 Share this article Trump Affirms He Is Not Considering Providing Tomahawk Cruise Missiles to Ukraine. FormerPresident Trump indicated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer. Ukraine's Defense Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage While Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and strategic targets, including fuel storage facilities and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down. Turkish Refineries Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies. SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources One of the largest Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR declined to comment. Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two sources. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement. Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area. Recent Updates in Pokrovsk At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.” Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defense System The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude. Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including two minors, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.