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

In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces have employed British-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a major Russian oil refinery. This strike was carried out Thursday, as stated by the Ukrainian military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk oil plant, was reportedly hit, with "numerous explosions" recorded at the location. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has deployed these powerful British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the main 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 War Front

Separately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, namely Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks centered on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“It was a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some new ideas on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, certainly, the timeline.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a internal matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and critic 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 reportedly stem from an article Udaltsov published in support of another group of activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has denied the charges as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Situation

Russian authorities has stated it is in contact with French authorities regarding the case of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a prison term in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of spying.

An official stated that Russia has made an offer to France regarding Vinatier, and now “the ball is in France’s court.” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office stated he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation as soon as possible.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

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

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “dancing on bones.” The reconstruction is part of a wider Kremlin 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 expected to open by the end of the month with a performance of a classic Russian story, having been rebuilt largely anew over the past two years.