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Ex-President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable such a delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has still managed to conduct a successful campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key objectives, including oil depots and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike hit the port facility on the coast, causing a blaze and harming two ships, according to Russian officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Refineries Turn to Alternative Crude Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to industry sources. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri firm SOCAR, has recently acquired four shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and additional alternative producers for December arrival, according to insiders. This represent roughly tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by shipment volume. In contrast, Russian crude made up virtually all of the STAR refinery's supply in October and September, totaling approximately 210,000 bpd, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Alternative Purchases

Another leading Turkish oil processor – Tupras – was also increasing acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, according to two insiders. The company was furthermore likely to soon completely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish refineries to maintain fuel shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Russian offensive involving thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's crosshairs for over a year as Russia aims to control the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Recent Updates in the City

At least two hundred Russian soldiers had breached the city's defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts concluded that additional forces were closing in on its outskirts in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our national air defense,” he declared, referring to the advanced American air-defence systems. Without providing further information, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Attacks Claim Civilians, Cut Power

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six people, including two children, and disrupted power to thousands of households, officials reported on Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's prosecutor general. The victims were male minors aged eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as almost 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.