Ukrainian Forces Hit Moscow's Oil Refinery With British Storm Shadow Missiles.

In a significant escalation, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a key Russian oil processing facility. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Military Significance

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the site. This marks not the first instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the main suppliers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in providing for the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held “very good” discussions with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on potential pathways to end the war.

“It was a very productive conversation: many details, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy stated on a social media platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has convicted a activist and critic of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was sentenced to six years in prison.

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, following the verdict, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is engaged with French authorities regarding the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of spying.

A spokesperson stated 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 monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to offer assistance and push for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to open its doors again. Authorities in control have promoted the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have called the reopening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Kremlin effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

It is expected to open by the end of the month with a show of a Russian fairytale, following its reconstruction almost from scratch over the past two years.