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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not actively considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. In response to a query by a journalist on his plane, he answered, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the administration that U.S. inventories of Tomahawks were sufficient to enable this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Lack

Although Ukraine has been requesting Tomahawk missiles to conduct long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Russian military and key objectives, such as oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike targeted the Tuapse oil port on the coast, causing a fire and harming two vessels, as stated by Moscow officials. Nearby Russian airports in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's biggest oil refining facilities are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in reaction to the latest international restrictions on Russia, according to market insiders. The country is a major purchaser of Russian crude, along with China and New Delhi, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing imports.

STAR Refinery Expands Oil Sources

A major Turkish refineries, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakh, and other non-Russian producers for year-end arrival, according to sources. These purchases represent approximately 77,000 to 129,000 barrels per day (bpd) of non-Russian crude, depending on cargo size. By comparison, Russian crude accounted for virtually all of the plant's crude intake in recent months, amounting to about 210 thousand bpd, according to trade information. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Likewise Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkey's oil processor – Tupras refinery – was additionally increasing purchases of non-Russian grades of crude, as stated by multiple insiders. Tupras was also expected to soon entirely eliminate Russian crude at one of its two main domestic plants to continue fuel shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's upcoming restrictions. Tupras declined to comment to a inquiry for comment.

Ukraine Deploys Special Forces to Eastern City

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an intense Russian offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, as stated by Kyiv’s top commander. The city, dubbed “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for more than a twelve months as Moscow pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in Pokrovsk

No fewer than two hundred Moscow's soldiers had penetrated Pokrovsk’s defensive lines, Kyiv reported recently, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the destruction of the invading forces.”

Zelenskyy Reveals Enhanced Air Defense System

Zelenskyy, who has been pushing his allies for more air defences to hold off Russia’s attacks, stated on this past Sunday that the country had strengthened its air-defence network with Germany’s assistance. “We have strengthened the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing further information, the Ukrainian leader singled out Germany and its chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for gratitude.

Moscow's Strikes Kill Civilians, Disrupt Electricity

Russian unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory killed at least 6 people, including two children, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of households, authorities said on this past Sunday. Moscow's military attacked the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the representatives of Ukraine’s chief prosecutor. The victims were two boys aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand households in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group confirmed a number of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian attacks on the region.