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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow such a transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Without Missile Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the port facility on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring India's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to market data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been in Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, among them two children, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk area as well as almost 58,000 homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.