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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really planning supplying Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Recent reports had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Persist Without Weapon Lack

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range attacks against Russia, it has still managed to wage a effective campaign using its domestically-produced unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Russian military and key objectives, such as fuel storage facilities and processing plants. This past Sunday, a Ukrainian drone attack struck the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a blaze and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent Russian airports in the area also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of alternative crude in response to the latest international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. The country is a major buyer of Russian crude, together with China and New Delhi, but processing companies are following India's example in cutting back supplies.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Procurement

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired multiple cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and additional alternative suppliers for year-end delivery, according to insiders. This amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative supply, varying by shipment volume. By comparison, oil from Russia accounted for virtually the entirety of the plant's supply in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to provide a statement.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Buys

The other leading Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. The company was furthermore likely to soon entirely eliminate imports from Russia at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to maintain fuel shipments to the EU without breaching the EU’s upcoming sanctions. The refiner did not respond to a inquiry for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Eastern City

Ukraine has sent special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an fierce Russian assault comprising a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, dubbed “the gateway to Donetsk,” lies on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than 200 Moscow's soldiers had breached Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped movement. In his nightly address on Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defence System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We've boosted the U.S.-made Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he declared, referring to the sophisticated American defense systems. Without providing additional information, the Ukraine's leader specifically thanked Germany and its leader, Friedrich Merz, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Power

Moscow's drones and missiles fired at Ukraine killed at least six individuals, including 2 minors, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, according to the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were male minors of ages eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s ombudsman. The strikes cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58,000 households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Eastern army group confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy strikes on Dnipropetrovsk.