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FormerPresident Donald Trump indicated this past Sunday that he was not really planning sending Ukrainian forces with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. When questioned by a reporter aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Earlier reports had claimed the U.S. Department of Defense told the White House that American stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to allow this transfer.

Ukrainian Military Actions Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukrainian forces has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out far-reaching attacks against Russian targets, it has still succeeded to wage a successful operation using its domestically-produced drones and rockets against Moscow's armed and key targets, such as fuel storage facilities and refineries. This past Sunday, a Kyiv's drone attack targeted the port facility on the coast, igniting a fire and harming two ships, according to Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be shut down.

Turkish Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Oil Supplies

Ankara's largest oil refineries are boosting procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent international restrictions on Moscow, as reported by market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of oil from Russia, together with China and India, but refiners are mirroring India's lead in reducing supplies.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

A major Turkish refineries, SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR), operated by Azerbaijani firm SOCAR, has lately purchased four cargoes of crude from Iraqi, Kazakhstan, and other non-Russian producers for December arrival, according to sources. These purchases amount to approximately tens of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) of alternative crude, depending on cargo size. In contrast, oil from Russia made up virtually all of the plant's crude intake in October and September, totaling about 210,000 barrels per day, based on trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Another Major Refiner Also Increasing Non-Russian Purchases

Another major Turkey's refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising purchases of alternative grades of crude, as stated by multiple sources. Tupras was also expected to in the near future completely eliminate imports from Russia at one of its two major Turkish plants to continue petroleum shipments to Europe without violating the European Union's incoming sanctions. Tupras declined to comment to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Elite Units to Pokrovsk

Ukraine has sent elite troops to the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk in an effort to repel an fierce Russian offensive involving a large number of troops, as stated by Ukraine's senior military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” is located on a major logistical route for the Ukrainian military and has been under Russia's sights for over a twelve months as Russia pushes to control the entire eastern Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

No fewer than 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated the city's defensive lines, Ukrainian officials reported last week, while analysts assessed that additional forces were advancing on its outskirts in a pincer-shaped maneuver. In his nightly address on this past Sunday, the Ukrainian president mentioned the combat in the city and “successes in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Zelenskyy Announces Enhanced Air Defense Network

The president, who has been urging his partners for more air defense systems to hold off Russia’s strikes, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had strengthened its air-defence capabilities with Berlin's assistance. “We have boosted the U.S.-made Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defence,” he declared, mentioning the sophisticated American air-defence systems. Not providing additional information, the Ukraine's president singled out Berlin and its chancellor, the German chancellor, for gratitude.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Cut Power

Moscow's unmanned aircraft and rockets targeting Ukrainian territory took the lives of at least 6 individuals, among them two children, and cut power to thousands of residents, officials reported on this past Sunday. Russian forces struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa areas, said the office of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, stated Ukraine’s ombudsman. The attacks disrupted power to the entire eastern Donetsk area as well as almost 58 thousand households in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Eastern army group confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the Russian strikes on the region.