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Ex-President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that he was not really planning providing Ukraine with advanced Tomahawk cruise missiles. In response to a query by a reporter on Air Force One, he answered, “No, not really.” Earlier reports had indicated the Pentagon informed the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were adequate to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Defense Actions Continue Without Missile Lack

Although Ukrainian forces has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to execute long-range strikes against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to conduct a successful campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles against Moscow's armed and key targets, including oil depots and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack hit the Tuapse oil port on the coast, igniting a fire and damaging two vessels, as stated by Russian officials. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkey Oil Plants Shift to Alternative Crude Sources

Turkey's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international sanctions on Russia, according to industry insiders. Turkey is a significant buyer of Russian crude, along with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring New Delhi's example in reducing imports.

SOCAR Turkey Plant Diversifies Crude Sources

A major Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azeri firm SOCAR, has lately acquired four cargoes of crude from Iraq, Kazakhstan, and other alternative producers for year-end arrival, as per insiders. These purchases represent approximately tens of thousands of barrels daily of non-Russian crude, varying by cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up nearly all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210,000 bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR refused to comment.

Tupras Also Increasing Alternative Buys

Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was also increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also likely to in the near future completely eliminate Russian crude at a key facility of its primary major domestic plants to continue petroleum exports to the EU without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has deployed special forces to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an attempt to repel an fierce Moscow's offensive comprising a large number of troops, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the gateway to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Kyiv's military and has been under Moscow’s crosshairs for more than a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk region.

Recent Updates in Pokrovsk

At least two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defences, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while military experts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president spoke of the combat in the city and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for additional air defences to hold off Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence network with Berlin's support. “We've boosted the Patriot component of our Ukrainian air defense,” he said, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not offering additional information, the Ukrainian leader specifically thanked Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Moscow's Strikes Claim Innocents, Cut Electricity

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets fired at Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them 2 children, and disrupted electricity to thousands of residents, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the office of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys of ages eleven and 14, stated the nation's ombudsman. The attacks cut electricity to the whole eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors said. Ukraine’s Vostok military unit confirmed some of its members were killed in a particular of the enemy attacks on Dnipropetrovsk.