🔗 Share this article Trump Affirms He Isn't Planning Supplying Long-Range Cruise Missiles to Kyiv. FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not actively considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a delivery. Ukraine's Military Efforts Continue Despite Missile Shortage Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed. Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports. SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources A major Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment. Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Purchases Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was also likely to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement. Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk area. Latest Developments in the City At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defences, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.” Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence Network The president, who has been pushing his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defense,” he said, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks. Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.