Kyiv Strikes Moscow's Oil Refinery With UK-supplied Storm Shadow Cruise Missiles.

In a significant military action, Kyiv's forces have employed long-range Storm Shadow missiles to target and hit a key Russian oil processing facility. The attack occurred on Thursday, according to the Ukrainian military command.

Details of the Strike and Strategic Impact

The plant in question, the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, was reportedly hit, with multiple blasts recorded at the location. This marks not the first instance where Ukraine has utilized these powerful British-supplied missiles against objectives inside Russian territory.

Ukrainian officials noted that the Novoshakhtinsk plant acts as one of the primary suppliers of fuel products in southern Russia and is actively engaged in supplying the military of the Russian Federation.

Political Discussions on the Conflict

In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that he held productive discussions with representatives of ex-President Donald Trump, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The conversation centered on possible ways to end the war.

“It was a really good conversation: numerous specifics, good ideas, that we discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on a messaging platform. “We explored some fresh concepts on how to bring a genuine peace closer, and it concerns approaches, potential summits, and, certainly, the schedule.”

Judicial Proceedings Within Russia

Meanwhile, in a domestic matter, a court in Russia has convicted a pro-war activist and opponent of Vladimir Putin on charges of justifying terrorism. Sergei Udaltsov, head of the opposition movement, was given to six years in prison.

The charges are said to be based on an online post Udaltsov shared backing another group of Russian activists charged with forming a terrorist organisation. Udaltsov has rejected the charges as fabricated and, following the verdict, stated his intention to go on a hunger strike in protest.

Foreign Prisoner Case

Russian authorities indicated it is in contact with French authorities concerning the fate of Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a three-year sentence in Russia and allegedly facing additional accusations of espionage.

A spokesperson said that Russia has made an offer to France in the case of Vinatier, and now “it is in France’s court.” President Emmanuel Macron’s office confirmed he is monitoring the situation, with all state resources mobilised to provide consular support and advocate for his liberation at the earliest opportunity.

Symbolic Reconstruction in Mariupol

A theatre in Mariupol, which was leveled in a 2022 Russian airstrike while hundreds of civilians sought refuge in its cellar, is set to open its doors again. Russian occupation authorities have promoted the rebuilding as a sign of renewal.

Conversely, former actors from the theatre have denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones.” This project is part of a broader Moscow effort to present its rule in occupied Ukraine, a process accompanied by the arrest or exile of critics and property seizures from Ukrainian citizens.

It is due to reopen by the month's end with a performance of a classic Russian story, following its reconstruction largely anew over the past two years.