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Ex-President Donald Trump remarked on Sunday that he is not actively planning sending Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. After being asked by a journalist aboard his plane, he responded, “No, not currently.” Recent accounts had suggested the U.S. Department of Defense informed the White House that U.S. stockpiles of Tomahawks were ample to enable this delivery.

Ukrainian Military Efforts Continue Without Weapon Shortage

While Ukraine has been pursuing Tomahawk missiles to carry out long-range attacks against Russian targets, it has nonetheless succeeded to wage a effective campaign using its own unmanned aerial vehicles and rockets against Russian armed and key targets, including oil depots and processing plants. On Sunday, a Ukrainian airstrike struck the port facility on the Black Sea, igniting a blaze and damaging two ships, as stated by Russian authorities. Adjacent airfields in the region also had to be closed.

Turkey Oil Plants Turn to Non-Russian Crude Sources

Ankara's largest oil refineries are increasing procurement of non-Russian crude in response to the recent western restrictions on Moscow, according to market sources. Turkey is a major purchaser of Russian crude, together with Beijing and India, but processing companies are mirroring India's lead in cutting back imports.

STAR Plant Expands Crude Sources

One of the largest Turkey's refining plants, the STAR refinery, operated by Azerbaijani company SOCAR, has lately purchased four shipments of crude from Iraq, Kazakh, and additional alternative producers for December delivery, according to insiders. These purchases amount to roughly 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 supply in recent months, amounting to approximately 210 thousand bpd, according to trade data. SOCAR declined to comment.

Tupras Also Boosting Non-Russian Buys

Another major Turkish refiner – Tupras refinery – was additionally raising acquisitions of non-Russian grades of crude, according to two sources. Tupras was also likely to in the near future entirely phase out imports from Russia at a key facility of its two major domestic plants to maintain petroleum exports to the EU without breaching the European Union's incoming restrictions. Tupras did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukrainian Sends Special Forces to Pokrovsk

Kyiv has sent elite troops to the embattled east city of Pokrovsk in an effort to push back an intense Moscow's offensive comprising thousands of soldiers, according to Ukraine's top military leader. Pokrovsk, called “the entrance to Donetsk,” lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian military and has been in Russia's sights for more than a year as Moscow aims to control the whole east Donetsk area.

Latest Updates in the City

At least two hundred Moscow's troops had breached the city's defences, Kyiv reported last week, while analysts assessed that others were closing in on its perimeter in a encircling maneuver. In his nightly speech on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned the fighting in Pokrovsk and “results in the elimination of the occupiers.”

Ukrainian President Reveals Strengthened Air Defense Network

The president, who has been pushing his partners for additional air defense systems to counter Moscow's attacks, announced on Sunday that Ukraine had reinforced its air defense capabilities with Germany’s support. “We've boosted the Patriot element of our Ukrainian air defense,” Zelenskyy said, mentioning the advanced U.S.-made defense systems. Without offering additional details, the Ukrainian leader singled out Berlin and its leader, the German chancellor, for thanks.

Russian Strikes Kill Innocents, Disrupt Electricity

Russian drones and missiles targeting Ukraine killed at least 6 people, including 2 children, and cut power to thousands of residents, officials said on Sunday. Moscow's military struck the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, said the representatives of the country's chief prosecutor. The children were male minors aged eleven and 14, said Ukraine’s human rights commissioner. Russia’s strikes cut electricity to the entire east Donetsk region as well as nearly 58 thousand homes in the south Zaporizhzhia region, their governors announced. The Vostok military unit confirmed some of its personnel were killed in one of the enemy attacks on the region.