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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not seriously contemplating supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Efforts Persist Without Missile Shortage

While Ukraine has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still managed to wage a successful operation using its own drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western sanctions on Russia, as reported by industry insiders. Turkey is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are following India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies 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, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its primary major Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to seize the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Cut Electricity

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders announced. The Eastern army group said some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.