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FormerPresident Trump stated this past Sunday that he is not seriously contemplating sending Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian armed and key targets, including fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, along with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by two sources. The company was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its primary major Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 people, among them two minors, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Vostok army group said some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on the region.