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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not really planning providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Despite Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, such as oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for December delivery, as per insiders. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to multiple sources. The company was also likely to in the near future entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary main domestic refineries to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical line for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said last week, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than six individuals, among them two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.