Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Fuel Plant Using UK-supplied Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a key Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, as stated by the country's military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the site. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles to hit objectives inside Russian soil.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk facility acts as one of the primary suppliers of petrol products in Russia's south and is actively engaged in supplying the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Diplomatic Developments on the Conflict

In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on potential pathways to end the war.

“It was a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to move toward real peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a Russian court has convicted a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

This case are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities indicated it is in contact with French officials regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a prison term in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of spying.

A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is closely following the situation, with all state resources working to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Moscow effort to present its rule in seized territories, a process accompanied by the detention or expulsion of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the last 24 months.