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Ex-President Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously contemplating providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic objectives, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to market sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, as per sources. This amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, varying by cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling about 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Alternative Buys

The other leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore expected to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its primary main domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising a large number of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's sights for over a year as Moscow aims to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We've strengthened the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and rockets targeting Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, among them 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.