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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he is not really contemplating supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not really.” Earlier accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to allow this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Despite Weapon Lack

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the port facility on the Black Sea, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to market insiders. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. This amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually the entirety of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, amounting to about 210 thousand barrels per day, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of alternative types of crude, according to multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to continue fuel exports to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s senior commander. The city, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Russia's sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that others were closing in on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been urging his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the Patriot component of our national air defence,” he said, referring to the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Without providing further details, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than six people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes cut power to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.