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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. When questioned by a journalist on Air Force One, he replied, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had claimed the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were adequate to allow this transfer.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Persist Despite Missile Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute far-reaching strikes against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to conduct a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, including oil depots and refineries. On Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Moscow officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Supplies

Ankara's biggest oil refineries are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the recent western restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. The country is a major buyer of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Crude Procurement

One of the largest Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels daily of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for nearly all of the STAR refinery's crude intake in recent months, totaling about 210 thousand bpd, based on trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Purchases

Another leading Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by two insiders. The company was also expected to in the near future entirely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major domestic refineries to maintain petroleum shipments to the EU without breaching the European Union's upcoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault comprising thousands of troops, as stated by Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a key supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Russia's sights for over a year as Russia aims to seize the whole east Donetsk region.

Recent Developments in the City

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv reported last week, while military experts concluded that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling movement. In his evening speech on this past Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to counter Moscow's attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had strengthened its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We have strengthened the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Without providing further details, the Ukraine's president specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Claim Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory killed at least six people, including 2 minors, and disrupted power to tens of thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Russian forces attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said the nation's human rights commissioner. Russia’s attacks disrupted electricity to the whole east Donetsk region 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 a particular of the Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.