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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukrainian forces with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Recent reports had claimed the Pentagon informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and strategic targets, such as oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following New Delhi's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has recently purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This represent roughly 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of non-Russian types of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary main domestic plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Russia aims to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Recent Developments in the City

At least two hundred Russian troops had breached Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were advancing on its outskirts in a encircling movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defence System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 people, including 2 minors, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities reported on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Eastern army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.