Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Oil Refinery Using British Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant military action, Ukrainian forces reportedly used British-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a key Russian oil processing facility. The attack was carried out Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Military Significance

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with "numerous explosions" observed at the location. This marks not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets inside Russian territory.

Military spokespersons emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the main providers of fuel products in southern Russia and is directly involved in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the War Front

In a related development, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held “very good” discussions with envoys of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation focused on possible ways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, constructive proposals, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “We explored some fresh concepts on how to move toward real peace closer, and it involves approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Legal Crackdown Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

The charges are said to be based on an article Udaltsov published backing another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as politically motivated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to begin a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French authorities concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of spying.

An official stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is closely following the situation, with all government services mobilised 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 devastating bombardment while many civilians were sheltering in its cellar, is scheduled to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “a macabre spectacle.” This project is part of a wider Kremlin effort to showcase its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of dissenting voices and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

The theatre is expected to open by the month's end with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the past two years.