🔗 Share this article Donald Trump States He Is Not Contemplating Sending Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine. Ex-President Trump stated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow such a delivery. Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its own drones and missiles against Russian military and key targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down. Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international sanctions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing imports. STAR Plant Expands Crude Procurement A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR declined to comment. Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary main Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment. Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Eastern City Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian assault involving thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area. Recent Developments in Pokrovsk At least 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.” Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence System Zelenskyy, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude. Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.