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FormerPresident Donald Trump stated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. After being asked by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not at the moment.” Earlier accounts had indicated the Pentagon told the White House that American inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable such a delivery.

Ukraine's Defense Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russia, it has still succeeded to wage a effective operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Kyiv's airstrike struck the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Nearby airfields in the area also had to be closed.

Turkish Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Oil Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Russia, as reported by industry sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and India, but processing companies are following New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

STAR Plant Diversifies Oil Procurement

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, owned by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately acquired four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and additional non-Russian suppliers for year-end delivery, as per sources. These purchases amount to roughly tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian supply, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia accounted for nearly the entirety of the plant's crude intake in recent months, totaling approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to market information. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Likewise Boosting Non-Russian Buys

The other major Turkish oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was furthermore expected to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at one of its two main domestic plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the EU’s incoming sanctions. Tupras did not respond to a request for a statement.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the heavily contested eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to push back an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of troops, according to Ukraine's senior military leader. The city, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply line for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a year as Moscow pushes to seize the entire east Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's troops had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Kyiv said last week, while analysts concluded that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Announces Strengthened Air Defense System

The president, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's strikes, announced on this past Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Berlin's support. “We've strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our national air defense,” Zelenskyy declared, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Attacks Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Russian drones and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least six individuals, among them 2 children, and cut power to thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s prosecutor general. The children were male minors of ages eleven and fourteen, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the whole east Donetsk area as well as nearly 58,000 homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit said some of its members were killed in a particular of the Russian strikes on the region.