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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range strikes against Russia, it has still succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, according to Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, according to market insiders. The country is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with Beijing and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative types of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two major Turkish plants to maintain fuel exports to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top commander. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply line for the Kyiv's army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials said recently, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of no fewer than 6 people, among them two children, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.