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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked this past Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a journalist on his plane, he responded, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Defense Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting purchases of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but refiners are following New Delhi's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased multiple shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

The other major Turkey's refiner – Tupras – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to two insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon completely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s sights for over a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian troops had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said last week, while military experts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made air-defence systems. Not providing further details, the Ukraine's leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six people, including 2 children, and cut power to tens of thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.