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Ex-President Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard Air Force One, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

Although Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and missiles against Moscow's military and strategic objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike hit the Tuapse oil port on the Black Sea, causing a fire and harming two ships, as stated by Moscow authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, as reported by industry insiders. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in cutting back imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per sources. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian supply, varying by cargo size. In contrast, Russian crude accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210,000 barrels per day, according to market information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two insiders. The company was also likely to soon completely phase out Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic refineries to continue petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukrainian Deploys Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the heavily contested east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Russia pushes to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while military experts concluded that others were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his evening address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the combat in Pokrovsk and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to counter Russia’s strikes, stated on this past Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense network with Berlin's assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defence,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the advanced American defense systems. Without offering further details, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least six individuals, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to thousands of households, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The children were male minors of ages 11 and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. The strikes disrupted power to the whole east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok army group said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.