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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not actively planning sending Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, according to market sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore likely to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary major domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to Europe without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a twelve months as Moscow aims to seize the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “successes in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defense,” he declared, mentioning the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of at least 6 people, including two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, said the nation's ombudsman. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said some of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.