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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, along with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, according to insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was furthermore likely to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main domestic plants to maintain fuel exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Moscow's offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for additional air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 individuals, including 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok army group confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.