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FormerPresident Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not seriously planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a reporter aboard his plane, he replied, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the administration that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Persist Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russia, it has still managed to conduct a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a blaze and harming two vessels, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing purchases of alternative crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Russia, according to industry insiders. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and other alternative producers for December arrival, according to sources. This represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in October and September, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, 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 purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Russian assault involving a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire east Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's troops had breached Pokrovsk’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 speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Germany’s assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering further information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of at least six people, including 2 children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. The Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian attacks on the region.