Ukrainian Forces Hit Russian Fuel Plant Using British Storm Shadow Missiles.

As part of a notable escalation, Kyiv's forces reportedly used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a major Russian oil refinery. This strike occurred on Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, 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 powerful British-supplied missiles to hit targets inside Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials 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.

Political Discussions on the Conflict

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of former US President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation centered on potential pathways to end the war.

“We had a really good conversation: many details, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring real peace closer, and it concerns approaches, meetings, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Inside the Country

In a parallel domestic matter, a Russian court has found guilty a activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the opposition movement, was given to six years in a penal colony.

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

Foreign Prisoner Case

The Kremlin has stated it is in contact with French authorities concerning the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson said that Russia has presented a proposal to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” 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 release at the earliest opportunity.

Controversial Reopening in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is set to reopen. Russian occupation authorities have heralded the rebuilding as a symbol of recovery.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Moscow effort to present its administration in seized territories, a process that includes the arrest or exile of critics and confiscation of assets from local residents.

It is expected to open by the end of the month with a show of a Russian fairytale, having been rebuilt largely anew over the last 24 months.