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

In a significant military action, Kyiv's 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 country's military authorities.

Attack Particulars and Strategic Impact

The targeted facility, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was said to be hit, with multiple blasts observed at the location. This represents another instance where Ukrainian forces has utilized these advanced British-supplied missiles against targets on Russian soil.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the Novoshakhtinsk plant serves as one of the primary providers of fuel products in Russia's south and is directly involved 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 productive talks with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These talks focused on potential pathways to bring the conflict to a close.

“We had a very productive conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a social media platform. “There are some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it involves formats, potential summits, and, of course, the timeline.”

Legal Crackdown Inside the Country

In a parallel domestic matter, a court in Russia has found guilty a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of supporting terrorist activities. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the Left Front movement, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.

The charges reportedly stem from an online post Udaltsov published in support of another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist group. Udaltsov has denied the allegations as fabricated and, after the sentencing, reportedly announced to go on a hunger strike in defiance.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities indicated it is in contact with French officials concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French political scholar currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing new charges of espionage.

An official stated that Russia has presented a proposal to France regarding 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 push for his release at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Occupied City

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, which was destroyed in a 2022 Russian airstrike while many civilians were sheltering in its basement, is scheduled to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the reconstruction as a sign of renewal.

However, former actors from the theatre have denounced the planned opening as “a macabre spectacle.” The reconstruction is part of a broader Kremlin effort to showcase its administration in seized territories, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of critics and confiscation of assets from Ukrainian citizens.

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