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Ex-President Trump remarked this past Sunday that he is not really contemplating providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless succeeded to conduct a effective operation using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and strategic targets, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian authorities. Nearby Russian airports in the area also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Russia, as reported by market insiders. The country is a significant buyer of Russian crude, together with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, as per insiders. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of alternative crude, depending on shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the STAR refinery's crude intake in October and September, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Alternative Buys

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian types of crude, according to multiple insiders. Tupras was furthermore expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main Turkish plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an intense Moscow's assault comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top commander. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Kyiv said recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defences to counter Moscow's strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defence,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not offering further information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukraine took the lives of no fewer than 6 individuals, including two children, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the office of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were two boys of ages 11 and fourteen, stated the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes cut power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed a number of its members were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.