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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's military and key objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are following India's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel exports to the EU without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our national air defense,” he said, mentioning the advanced American defense systems. Without providing further information, the Ukrainian president singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.