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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not seriously planning supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had indicated the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that American inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to allow such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a successful operation using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a significant buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple shipments of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December delivery, according to insiders. This represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's supply in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand barrels per day, based on trade information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. The company was also likely to soon entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary main Turkish plants to continue petroleum exports to Europe without violating the EU’s upcoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Ukraine has deployed elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's assault involving thousands of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s senior commander. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply line for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to seize the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

At least 200 Russian soldiers had breached the city's defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Strengthened Air Defence Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air-defence capabilities with Germany’s assistance. “We've strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Not offering further information, the Ukrainian president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles targeting Ukraine killed no fewer than six individuals, among them two children, and cut electricity to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, according to the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks cut power to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern military unit said a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.