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Ex-President Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not really contemplating providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Military Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been seeking Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Alternative Oil Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting purchases of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Russia, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has recently acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Increasing Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was also raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its two main Turkish plants to continue fuel shipments to the EU without violating the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Ukraine's top commander. The city, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key logistical line for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Developments in the City

At least two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the Patriot element of our national air defence,” he declared, referring to the advanced U.S.-made air-defence systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed no fewer than 6 people, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were two boys aged eleven and fourteen, stated the nation's ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.