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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not seriously considering sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its own drones and rockets against Russian military and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Purchases

The other major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to maintain petroleum shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Developments in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts assessed that others were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 individuals, among them two minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Vostok military unit confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on the region.