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FormerPresident Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he was not really considering supplying Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist on his plane, he replied, “No, not really.” Recent accounts had suggested the Pentagon told the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable such a transfer.

Ukraine's Military Actions Continue Despite Weapon Shortage

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has nonetheless managed to wage a successful campaign using its own drones and missiles against Moscow's armed and strategic targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack struck the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two ships, according to Moscow authorities. Nearby airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkish Refineries Shift to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Turkey's biggest oil refining facilities are boosting procurement of alternative crude in reaction to the latest western sanctions on Moscow, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a significant purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in cutting back supplies.

SOCAR Turkey Refinery Diversifies Crude Procurement

A major Turkish refining plants, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), owned by Azeri company SOCAR, has recently purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for December arrival, as per insiders. These purchases amount to approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, Russian crude made up nearly the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 barrels per day, based on market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras – was additionally increasing acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major Turkish refineries to continue fuel shipments to Europe without breaching the EU’s incoming restrictions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising a large number of soldiers, according to Kyiv’s top military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for over a year as Moscow pushes to seize the whole eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Russian troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv 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, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “successes in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on Sunday that the country had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated U.S.-made defense systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Germany and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Civilians, Disrupt Power

Russian unmanned aircraft and missiles fired at Ukraine killed no fewer than 6 people, among them two minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities reported on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages 11 and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes disrupted power to the entire east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their local leaders said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group said a number of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.